


Deathstroke's Apprentices

by Beauty_In_Her_Darkness



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Creepy Slade Wilson, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson is Renegade, Dick Grayson-centric, F/M, Heavy Angst, Heavy emphasis on Renegade & Terra's relationship, Minor Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, Protective Bruce Wayne, Renegade and Terra are Deathstroke's Apprentices, Teen Titans as Family, season 1 episode 12 and 13 the apprentice, the teen titans literally would do anything for each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:28:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 35,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28515678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beauty_In_Her_Darkness/pseuds/Beauty_In_Her_Darkness
Summary: When Robin agreed to become Slade's apprentice to save the Teen Titans' lives, he never would have imagined that he'd still be Renegade three months later. With the nanobots still in the Titans' bodies and Slade taking on a second apprentice, Robin is stuck as he tries to keep his friends safe all while plotting how to escape from Jump City's most feared crime boss.AU of Teen Titans season 1 where the Titans don't find Slade's lair and don't get the nanobots out.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Slade Wilson, Dick Grayson & Tara Markov, Dick Grayson & Teen Titans
Comments: 19
Kudos: 151





	1. Chapter 1

They never even noticed him.

It wasn’t surprising; he’d been trained by the best and they’d only been a team for a few months, and in the life not much longer than that. His work was done from the shadows, and they lived in the light.

Still, it hurt Robin to watch his teammates from the rafters, the S-shaped badge burning a hole through his heart.

They’d been playing this cat-and-mouse game for three months now. Slade would tell Robin to steal something, he’d retrieve it effortlessly, and the Titans would show up right as he was making his getaway. Half the time, Robin would still manage to leave without having to engage them. Other times he wasn’t so lucky. And then there were the rare instances such as this one where Robin had a chance to see them before he had to hurry back to Slade with his tail tucked between his legs.

“It was definitely him. Cameras and motion sensors were disabled and put on loop without security noticing. The guards checked the vault every hour on the hour and passed by it every five minutes. No one even knew the chemicals were gone until they did the vault check eight minutes ago,” Cyborg reported as he scanned the now empty vault.

“If no one saw who it was, then we do not know that it was Robin,” Starfire argued. Normally, she’d be floating next to the team, but her feet were flat on the ground. Starfire rarely flew anymore. Robin tried not to think about why that was.

“You know of anyone else who’s that good?” When she turned away, Cyborg sighed. “I know it’s hard, but there’s been a pattern. Every major company and business in and around Jump City have had their most valuable products stolen with hardly a trace of a break-in. All of the products are weapons or can be weaponized. Also, we’ve run into Robin at about half of these break-ins, so there’s a connection. There’s no way this one wasn’t him. It was too professional for it to be any of the H.I.V.E. students or Jump City criminals.”

“That is enough,” Starfire said softly, arms wrapped around herself.

“I guess we’ll add this to the file,” Raven said, pulling the hood of her cloak back down. “We’re not going to find anything worthwhile here.”

“We’ll have to tell the League, too,” Beast Boy said, fidgeting. Robin knew it killed him to stand there when they knew their fallen teammate couldn’t have gotten too far away (though they never would have thought that he was only feet away).

“You mean we’ll have to tell Batman.”

Robin sucked in a deep breath. He didn’t want to know what Bruce thought of all this. It was time to leave.

Quietly, Robin raced across the rafters on the balls of his feet. His friends were so absorbed in their conversation that they didn’t notice him, though his shadow danced along the floor next to them. After easing one of the windows open (the alarm on it was still out if commission from his hacking earlier), Robin equipped his grappling hook and swung away, the stolen chemical vials tucked securely away in his belt’s pocket.

Robin’s heart ached as he caught sight of the T-car parked outside, shining under the beam of a single streetlight. He remembered sitting in the backseat, mouthing along to a song as BB tried to convince Cyborg to let him drive, Starfire and Raven flying alongside them. They used to drive on the Pacific Coast Highway every Saturday morning. Sometimes civilians would park nearby to wave at them or drive alongside them. The team even had a little tradition where they had to cheer when they rounded the last corner and caught sight of their Tower or else they had to do the dishes for a week. Robin had had to do them more than once because his obsession with Slade distracted him from being in the present. He’d do anything to ride with them in the T-car again.

Robin turned away from the T-car so quickly that he nearly lost his footing. He needed to get back before Slade got suspicious. Dwelling on the past wouldn’t do him any good.

The night air carried the promise of coming frost as he grappled onto the roof of the nearest building. In all honesty, he was far more familiar with chimneys and air ducts than sidewalks and stop signs at this point. Even when he was a hero, he’d rarely just walked around Jump City. At most, he and the Titans would get a bite to eat or go shopping at the mall, but with how conspicuous they were, they mostly chose to stay in the Tower.

Normally, Robin liked the run back to Slade. It was the only time he wasn’t doing something illegal or by Slade’s side. Sure, whatever he’d stolen weighed on him and his latest glimpse of the Titans hurt worse than ever, but it was _his_ time. If he shut his eyes, he could almost pretend that he was back in Gotham, soaring through another one of Bruce’s tests. Almost.

Unfortunately, the building he’d stolen from wasn’t far from Slade’s hideout. In a few short minutes, Robin had reached the rooftop of the tallest building in Jump City. The Veradun Tower housed the wealthiest and most powerful people in the city. What all the CEOs and doctors and lawyers inhabiting the building didn’t know was that the top floor penthouse didn’t belong to one of their own, but to the deadliest mercenary in the world.

Robin punched in the code, scanned his forefinger and thumb, and waved to the camera before the access door on the roof swung open. Dread settled in his gut as he stepped inside.

The penthouse was like something out of a dream. The floors varied between plush red carpet and polished marble. Tapestries, sculptures, and paintings that would make curators cry tears of joy lined the halls and common spaces. Every inch of the place was spotless and dripping with extravagance. Before he’d met Bruce, he wouldn’t have even thought a place like this could exist in real life.

It was all a front, though. The second someone stepped into a room, they would find that out quickly enough. Between the vault, armory, evidence room, and Slade’s office, Robin was never lulled into a false sense of security. The penthouse might be nicer than the underground lair, but they were both cages.

Robin went to the office on autopilot, barely paying attention to his surroundings. Now that the adrenaline high of the mission had ebbed, he felt numb. Tired. Even the apprehension he felt every time he delivered the contraband to Slade was dulled.

The office was empty. Robin must have stood in the doorway, staring blankly at the chair where Slade always sat when he came back from missions for a few minutes before shrugging, placing the vials on the desk and leaving. If Slade hadn’t bothered to tell him he wasn’t going to be there, Robin wasn’t going to wait around for him.

Robin started unclipping his vambraces and shoulder plates as he headed towards his bedroom, wanting nothing more than a quick shower and eight hours of sleep. Slade usually allowed him that much. But because he never got anything he wanted, his plan fell apart the second he stepped in his room.

Terra’s face lit up when she saw him. “You’re back.”

Robin looked her up and down. Aside from a new bruise on her cheek, she looked no different than she did this morning when he left to stakeout his latest target. This didn’t make any sense either; Slade usually took advantage of his absence by rigorously training Terra.

“I am. Where’s Slade?” Robin asked, moving past her to drop the metal armor into a drawer.

He could tell it bothered her that he didn’t return her enthusiasm, but she answered anyways. “He got an important contract in Central City. He said he won’t be back until tomorrow night or the day after if it goes bad.”

Central City, not Gotham. Robin held back a relieved sigh. He knew it was only a matter of time before Slade tried to take out Batman to have his apprentice to himself. The one time Slade accepted a contract in Gotham, back during his first month with the mercenary, Robin had gone crazy and tried to claw out Slade’s remaining eye before Slade choked him to unconsciousness. Slade hadn’t taken a single contract in Gotham since, though both of them knew Slade was just waiting for the right time, when Robin didn’t care anymore.

“You should rest,” Robin said, tugging off his uniform, but leaving his mask firmly in place. They’d seen each other’s bodies while patching up the other’s injuries, so neither of them cared that he was changing in front of her, but Bruce had trained him too well for him to take off his mask in front of a girl he’d only known a month. A girl who had chosen to stand at Slade’s side.

“I wanted to make sure that you weren’t hurt,” Terra said simply, drawing her knees up to her chin, her big blue eyes staring unflinchingly at him. “We both know you wouldn’t ask for help if you were.”

She was right, but that didn’t mean that he had to acknowledge it.

“I’m fine. I was in and out before anyone knew I was there.”

Terra was silent as he pulled on a robe over his nearly naked body and headed towards his bathroom. Right as his fingers brushed the handle, she blurted out, “Did you see them?”

Robin stiffened, his fingers turning white against the bronze knob.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that you always get this weird look when—” Terra babbled.

“Terra,” he interrupted. The girl looked up at him hopefully, but her body language showed she was still regretful, even a bit scared. After all, Slade didn’t like to be questioned, so why would his protege? “I saw them.”

“And?” she asked breathlessly.

Robin rested his forehead against the cool wood of the doorway as he admitted, “I don’t think they’ve given up on me.”

“Then why are you sad?”

There was so much _innocence_ in that question. Terra knew he was only here because Slade was threatening his friends, but she was a loner. She didn’t have any friends or family of her own, so she pestered him about the Titans. She thought he should be happy to see his friends. She didn’t understand that every glimpse was salt on a wound.

“Go to bed, Terra,” was all he said.

…

Starfire hardly noticed when Raven gently tugged her out of the building and into the T-car. The sky was wholly night when they pulled into the Tower and Starfire honestly couldn’t remember the drive. She doubted that she’d be able to lift herself an inch off the ground at the moment.

They were quiet as they rode the elevator up to the common room. The Tower was a lot quieter these days, though not nearly as quiet as it had been when they’d first lost Robin. The Tower had been like a tomb back then. As stifling as the silence was, odds were things would be better tomorrow. Beast Boy and Cyborg would pull out their video games, Raven would open a new book, and Starfire would distract herself with baking and training. They’d carry on as if everything was fine as they tried not to think about what Robin was doing at that moment.

The screen was already flashing the incoming call symbol when they took their seats on the couch. Cyborg sighed loudly before accepting the call.

“Did you see him?” Batman asked without preamble.

“No. He was long gone by the time we got there. There was no sign of where he went, same as always,” Cyborg reported, sounding tired. Starfire couldn’t blame him. He’d give the same report a dozen times now.

“Did he take down any guards?”

“Nope. Gimmo has the best security in the city, but Robin made stealing from them look like child’s play. I hate to say it, but he’s getting better,” Cyborg admitted, crossing his arms.

Batman nodded sharply. “You’ve been missing him more often than you did before. I think it’s safe to say that Slade’s been training him more than we initially thought.”

“Have you figured out what he’s planning to do with all the stuff Rob’s stolen for him?”

“Half of them are contract hits, corporate espionage and the like. The rest of it seems to be for himself, but no one’s reported Slade using anything Robin’s stolen. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of those robberies were just distractions. He knows that you’re following any lead on Robin.”

“Have you found _any_ leads?” Raven asked, clearly frustrated. She hated that the team had lost some of their autonomy as Batman and the League took over the investigation. They were only supposed to act as responders now because despite Batman being the world’s greatest detective, all he and the League had deduced was that Robin’s intense investigation of Slade was what led to his current predicament. They didn’t want to lose any more children in the fight against crime.

Batman’s frown deepened. “I’m working on it.”

No one had the guts to say to his face that that was a big fat no, but they all thought it.

“Anything else?” Cyborg asked when Batman didn’t say anything, but didn’t log off either.

“Yes. You’re not going to like it,” Batman warned.

“We don’t like anything you have to say,” BB muttered, earning him a sharp elbow from Raven.

Batman either didn’t hear him or chose to ignore him. “Cyborg has done a good job leading your team for the last three months, but it’s clear that you’ve been struggling. Slade may be biding his time, but the H.I.V.E. Academy has grown bolder. Since Robin won’t be back for the foreseeable future, it may be time to consider getting a new teammate. A fifth one.”

“No.”

“Never!”

“Are you crazy, dude?”

“With all due respect, that’s not happening,” Cyborg said, his lips a tight line of disapproval.

Instead of getting mad like they expected, he nodded. “I thought you’d say that, but I had to try. If you won’t accept another teammate, will you at least let one of Robin’s oldest friends stay with you for the weekend? He might have some insight on the situation.”

Cyborg looked at the others. When none of them raised any objections, Cyborg said, “Of course we will. Who is it?”

Batman chuckled, the sound shocking all four of them. The Dark Knight was normally such a grim, dour man. Hearing him laugh felt like an oxymoron.

“Trust me, you’ll know who it is,” Batman said. “He’ll be there bright and early tomorrow. We’ll talk if either of us find anything.”

And before they could say anything else, Batman ended the call.

Starfire crossed her arms, looking more like a petulant child than an alien princess. “I do not understand how Robin lived with that man for so long.”

“There’s a reason Robin never went back to Gotham, Star,” Raven reminded her.

Cyborg shook his head. “I know the two of them had problems, but don’t be too hard on him. The man is working with the Justice League, defending Gotham, looking for Robin, and keeping a secret identity.”

“If the Batman cared about Robin, he would be here,” Starfire insisted.

“That’s not fair. When we told him about Robin, he dropped everything and came here. He stayed here for two weeks looking for him, finding leads we completely missed, and you know what? Slade didn’t let Robin out for a second while Batman was here.”

“I know all of this,” Starfire snapped, her fingers growing hot. “I was there.”

“Then don’t say he should be here. Don’t you think he wants to be? I know Rob never really said it, but they consider each other family. Father and son. It hurts him just as much as us that even three months later, we know just as much as we did at the start.” When Starfire tilted her head away so that her hair hid her expression, Cyborg sighed. “I’m not trying to be mean, Star.”

“I know, friend. Today has been a long day. I think it is time I went to bed before I am the mean one,” Starfire said, standing up.

“We should all go to bed. It’d be bad manners to sleep in when we have a guest coming,” Cyborg said, also getting up.

“I wonder who it’s going to be,” BB said, bouncing in place with his contagious grin plastered on his green face. Starfire always felt better when Beast Boy cracked his jokes, but her mood was so foul that she barely paid any attention to him as he continued. “I mean, Robin knows _everyone_ on the Justice League. Do you think it will be another sidekick? Or maybe it will be someone from Gotham, since that’s where he’s from. Or maybe—”

Beast Boy was cut off with an indignant yelp as a gag made of Raven’s magic pasted itself over his mouth.

“We’ll find out tomorrow, which means that there’s no point in guessing because they’ll be here much sooner than it would take to guess who it is. So you better not keep me up all night while you fanboy,” Raven threatened, her eyes starting to glow red.

Beast Boy tried to respond, but the effect was comical since Raven hadn’t removed the gag. Normally, Starfire would laugh at such a display, but as it was, she had trouble aiming a small smile their way.

“Goodnight, friends,” she said as cheerfully as she could as she opened her door.

“Night, Star,” they chimed, Raven allowing Beast Boy to pull off the gag.

She couldn’t help but overhear them as they walked past even though they were trying to be quiet.

“I’m worried about her.” That was Raven, her voice as solemn as ever.

“I am, too. I mean, Rob and her,” Cyborg said, trailing off meaningfully at the end.

“Come on, guys. Star’s handling all of this really well,” Beast Boy argued.

“When’s the last time you saw her fly? Not float, _fly_?” Raven asked.

They were out of range before she could hear Beast Boy’s answer, which was probably a good thing. Her friends shouldn’t worry about her; they should worry about Robin. Of course, they were probably worried about her _because_ of that mentality, but she didn’t care.

Starfire dragged a hand through her hair as she stepped into her room. It was mostly the same as it had been, save for a bulletin board and a cluttered desk, both of which wouldn’t look out of place in Robin’s evidence room. Every article about Robin’s robberies and countless files about the stolen goods and their companies were pinned up with colored coded tacks and strings connecting it all together. Stills from security cameras and police reports were stacked half a foot high on her desk and footage from countless cameras were queued up on her computer.

Starfire tugged on her pajamas, the latest stack of evidence burning an accusing hole into her back. She flicked the lights off before her resolve crumbled and she ended up staying up till dawn pouring over the videos. That had already happened more times than she cared to admit.

Even when she settled down onto her round, comfortable bed, she couldn’t escape him. Starfire only had two framed photos on her nightstand and nothing else. One was of all the Titans in front of their newly constructed Tower. Everyone of them had a copy of it somewhere in their room. The other was of her and Robin cuddled up in their sleep when they’d both fallen asleep during movie night, courtesy of their cheeky teammates. Robin had blushed violently when he saw it, but she knew it also adorned his nightstand.

“I am going to find you,” Starfire informed the sleeping Robin, his dark hair stark against her rosy locks. “I know you are doing this for a reason. The others are starting to doubt, but I know you, Robin. I’m going to bring you home.”


	2. Chapter 2

Robin thought that after three months of living with Slade he’d be used to waking up in his new bed, but every morning without fail, Robin panicked before remembering where he was.

He knew the fault was partially his own as he hadn’t made any effort to customize his room. The trailer he’d shared with his parents had been a chaotic mess, as had his room in Wayne Manor despite Alfred’s best effort. Robin had kept much better care of his room in Titans Tower, but he’d at least decorated it, unlike here. Nothing fancy, just furniture, rugs, a good bed set, and, as an afterthought, he’d painted the walls red. He hadn’t done anything too personal until he put that picture of him and Starfire on his nightstand.

That wasn’t an option here. Slade hadn’t exactly let him go pack up his stuff before blackmailing him into his apprenticeship, so he didn’t have any pictures to hang up or clothes to put away. After the first month, Slade had trusted him enough to offer to buy him anything he might need to “feel more at home,” but Robin had refused. Personalizing his room would make it seem too permanent. The only downside to this was that waking up in a plain room that had an eerie resemblance to the hotel room he’d been held for ransom in when he first became Bruce’s ward was not a relaxing way to start the day.

Robin had an established routine for when Slade was gone to keep him from wallowing and from trying to escape. Normally, he’d shower first thing, but since he did that last night, he got dressed right away in a hoodie, track pants, and his ever present domino mask. After straightening up his bed to military standards, he headed for the kitchen and started making breakfast. Slade had offered to get a cook for the penthouse, but Robin had adamantly refused. Anyone Slade trusted enough to hire wasn’t someone Robin wanted to be around.

He already had scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast ready for Terra when she stumbled out of her room, bleary-eyed and yawning. She really wasn’t a morning person, but her training routine started in an hour regardless of Slade’s absence. Robin no longer had a strict schedule like hers. It was one of the few perks Robin had after spending three months as Slade’s apprentice.

Terra mumbled a thank you as they grabbed their plates and headed towards the TV room down the hall. As she tore into her plate like a starving animal (a side effect of her meta powers being that she needed to eat twice the average person), Robin turned on the news.

“—string of robberies. The Teen Titans came as soon as the alert went out, but the mysterious thief called Renegade was long gone by the time both the heroes and police arrived. Gimmo has yet to release an official statement disclosing what was stolen, but an insider told us that the investigation is taking place primarily in the wing of the building that houses the chemical labs,” the news anchor reported as footage of the Titans arriving on the scene played. “Despite the heroes recent success in stopping three separate attacks from the notorious H.I.V.E. Academy, critics are expressing concern that their inability to catch Renegade proves that without their leader and most experienced member, Robin, the four Titans are not enough to fight the rising crime in Jump City.”

Robin felt rather than saw Terra’s eyes on him. He knew she didn’t understand why he bothered to watch the news when they got all the facts wrong. The media hadn’t even made the connection that their missing Titan and the new thief Renegade were one and the same, although he had to admit that Slade was taking painstaking measures to make sure that no one connected the dots. What Terra didn’t understand was that this was his only other way of checking up on the Titans. Slade hadn’t let him watch the news or read the newspaper until Terra had joined them. He knew that if he slipped up, it would be the first privilege that was revoked.

“Although several heroes have spent some time in Jump City before Robin’s disappearance, including his famous partner, Batman, the Titans have yet to accept a fifth member and refuse to say whether the young hero is merely taking a break or left the masked life behind him.”

“Would you want them to replace you?” Terra asked, her plate already licked clean even though he’d barely finished his toast.

“Yeah, I would. Cyborg is a good leader, but the dynamic is all off without me there. I thought they’d replace me with Aqualad by now,” he admitted, eyes glued to the screen. “They need someone there who can keep calm under pressure. Someone more experienced.”

Terra was quiet. She usually retreated into herself after he told her about the Titans, although he’d never been sure why. It could have been out of jealousy or guilt. Terra was a metahuman, and a powerful one. He didn’t know all the details, but the gist of her story was that she couldn’t control her powers and had ended up on the run. Although he didn’t know for sure, he suspected that her parents had driven her out, or she didn’t have parents at all. Either way, the result was the same; Slade promised that in exchange for working for him, he’d teach her control. She accepted, and now they were stuck in hell together.

At first, Terra had been too grateful to Slade to care that he was a mercenary or that his training sessions were borderline cruelty. It wasn’t until he told her how he’d ended up as Slade’s apprentice that she realized what it was she’d agreed to. The only thing Robin couldn’t figure out about her was if she was jealous of his bond with the Titans and Batman or if telling her about them made her ashamed of choosing to join Slade of her own free will.

“There’s more bacon in the kitchen if you’re still hungry,” Robin said after a minute of silence. “And cereal in the cabinet if that’s not enough.”

Terra left immediately. She always waited for Slade or Robin’s permission to get more food as if she was scared they’d be mad at her. Robin knew it was probably because somewhere she’d stayed in the past had been that way, but the big brother genes in him freaked out whenever she didn’t eat enough. After parenting the Titans for months, he couldn’t help it.

Robin flicked out to the Gotham news channel. He sat through a boring weather report (when _wasn’t_ Gotham shrouded in a layer of fog?) and a traffic update before actual news stories started playing.

“Batman and Batgirl responded to a shooting in Crime Alley last night and delivered the shooters to the police station just after midnight. The shooting wasn’t gang or villain related, just a dispute over debt between two men who police have not yet identified. No one else was harmed, and aside from that, it was a quiet night. Reporters tried to question both heroes about the whereabouts of Robin, but neither stopped to answer. It has been three months since the Boy Wonder last appeared in Jump City, where he leads a team of teenage superheroes called the Teen Titans.”

Robin flipped back to the Jump City news. A quiet night in Gotham was rare, but it also meant that the news didn’t have anything new to report. Besides, seeing Bruce and Babs hurt a lot more than watching the Titans. He didn’t fault the Titans for putting him in this situation; he blamed Bruce for not getting him out by now. Did they really part on such bad terms that he couldn’t leave Gotham for five minutes to help out his partner? His ward?

Terra slipped back into the room with a monstrous bowl of cereal and a plate of bacon right as a breaking news announcement flashed on the screen. Robin dove for the remote, hurrying to turn the volume up.

“Breaking news: an unidentified speedster has entered the center. After making several laps around the city, particularly at the site of last night’s robbery, the speedster was admitted to the Titans Tower. Speculation from experts—”

Robin’s breath hitched. “KF?”

…

Batman didn’t exaggerate; their visitor arrived at exactly 7:30 in the morning. What Batman had neglected to mention was that their visitor had access to the Tower and had no problem letting himself in.

Starfire had just finished cleaning up the guest room and was heading back to the common room when a gust of wind hit her, blowing her hair into her face. She heard startled shouts from the common room. Starbolts formed around her hands as she rushed in there, ready to destroy anyone who dared to threaten them in their own home. She didn’t expect to find a boy dressed in a yellow and red suit making himself at home as he rifled through their cabinets.

“Who are you?” Starfire demanded, getting ready to fire at him.

“Oh, good, the gang’s all here,” the boy said instead of answering, his hand deep in a bag of chips.

“You can calm down, Star. This is Kid Flash,” Cyborg said, though he also seemed startled at the speedster’s sudden appearance.

“I do not know of him,” she said, releasing the starbolts nonetheless. If her friends were okay with him being in their home, who was she to complain?

“Really? Rob never mentioned me?” Kid Flash asked, frowning as he tossed away the now empty bag of chips.

“Robin never talks about anything from before meeting us. He never even mentioned Batman,” Cyborg explained, looking at Kid Flash apologetically . “So how do you know Robin? I mean, aside from the hero stuff.”

Kid Flash still seemed upset, but he said, “Whenever our mentors went away to do League stuff, Robin and I would hang out. We were the only kid heroes for a long time. Except for Aqualad, but he spent all of his time with his mentor or in Atlantis. Honestly, he’s like a brother to me.”

The Titans looked at each other, all wondering the same thing; if Robin and Kid Flash were so close, why hadn’t Robin said anything?

“The Justice League only bothered to tell me about the Deathstroke situation two days ago, otherwise I would have been here sooner,” Kid Flash continued as if he hadn’t dropped an emotional bomb on them.

“The League is trying to keep the situation quiet so that they can deal with it themselves,” Cyborg said. “It’s bothering us, too. They all act like they care he’s missing, but they’ve hardly done anything to find him.”

“What’d you expect? I mean, he’s _Robin_ ,” Kid Flash said as if that should be enough.

“I am sorry, but what do you mean by that? Does the League not like Robin?” Starfire asked, sincerely concerned.

Kid Flash’s eyes widened. “Not like—you’re joking, right?”

Raven glared at him. “Starfire’s an alien, Beast Boy is from the Doom Patrol, I’m from another dimension, and Cyborg hasn’t been in the hero life long either. None of us have Justice League mentors or know much about how they operate. Now what did you mean?”

“The whole League loves Robin. Most of them are counting the years until he’ll be able to take up the cowl instead of the current Batman. He’s like everyone’s little brother or nephew or something.”

“Um, if they all like him so much, how come they’re not here?” Beast Boy asked pointedly.

“Wow, you guys really don’t know,” he said, taking in their confused expressions. “You guys know how Robin ended up in Jump, right?”

“Like I said, Robin doesn’t talk about the past,” Cyborg said, crossing his arms.

Kid Flash ruffled his hair and let out a breathless laugh. “I don’t even know where to start.” Seeing how quickly their faces hardened, he rushed to say, “Okay, okay. So Robin started the whole hero gig when he was nine, right? Well, the longer you’re a hero, the more enemies you make, and no one’s made more enemies than the Dynamic Duo. When Rob was fifteen, so about a year ago, one of Gotham’s worst villains managed to shoot Robin in the shoulder.”

Starfire let out a soft gasp. Guns weren’t something they had to contend much with in Jump, but she had witnessed first hand how much damage and pain they could cause.

“The Joker?” Cyborg asked, his mouth set in a grim line.

Starfire didn’t recognize the name, but she could tell Beast Boy and Raven agreed with his guess.

Kid Flash nodded, his jaw clenched. “Robin wanted to get right back to it, of course, but Batman went crazy. He tried to bench Robin. Force him to hang up the cape and say goodbye to the hero life for good.”

“I’m guessing Robin didn’t take that too well,” Raven said dryly.

“God, you have no idea. He packed up his stuff and left that night, officially cutting all ties to Batman and warning the League to stay out of his way. Next thing anyone knows, he formed his own team in Jump City and acted like he hadn’t been working with Batman for the last six years.”

“As crazy as all that is, what does it have to do with the League looking for Robin?” Raven asked.

“That’s where it gets a little complicated. Even though Robin cut ties with Batman, he’s still considered Batman’s partner by the League. After you guys told the League what happened, Batman made them swear to stay out of it unless he asked for their help. Since it was his kid, they had to agree.”

Starbolts illuminated the room as Starfire shook with rage. Kid Flash looked at her apprehensively, but her friends looked as mad as her.

“It was not right for the Batman to do that,” Starfire growled. “Robin needs help.”

“Why would he want the League to stay away? Doesn’t he want to rescue Robin?” Beast Boy asked, confused more than anything else.

Kid Flash sighed. “I already asked him. He’s worried that if the Justice League comes to Jump full force, Slade will just go deep underground with Robin and it will be even harder to find him. And Batman does care about Robin, way more than Robin even realizes. He’s dropped all of his League duties to find Slade, something that he didn’t even do when he had pretty much every bone in the right side of his body broken.”

“He has a funny way of showing he cares,” Raven said, crossing her arms.

“Why do you think Robin left? They may love each other, but they’re terrible at showing it. I’m sure you noticed that Robin freaks out any time anything remotely emotional happens.”

They all nodded. They loved their teammate, but feelings were his Kryptonite.

“Not to sound ungrateful since you’ve told us more about Robin in five minutes than he did in all the months we lived with him, but what are you doing here? Slade probably won’t let him out for another few days so you’re not going to see him and we’re not looking for another member,” Cyborg said kindly, but firmly.

Kid Flash shook his head. “I know the Bat wants you guys to replace Rob, but I’m not looking to join up. I’m still needed in Central City.”

“So what do you hope to do here?”

Kid Flash locked his jaw, his hands curling into fists. Starfire was startled by how quickly the energetic speedster was transformed into a solemn vigilante. It was the same intensity she had seen in Robin’s eyes before she lost him.

“I’m here to figure out how the hell Slade is controlling my best friend.”

...

Despite her best efforts, Terra wasn’t able to pull him away from the TV before she had to leave to go train. The news didn’t have anything new to report. A speedster, who was believed to be Kid Flash, had entered Titans Tower an hour ago and no one had come or gone since. But knowing that his oldest friend was only five minutes away made Robin decide to screw the logical part of his brain that insisted he continue with his routine as if everything were normal.

Robin knew that all of the League was searching for him (as much as Batman allowed them to) and that his old friends hadn’t abandoned him, but no one had been by Jump in a while. Wally had never come, which had both hurt and relieved him initially, but now he had a hard time stopping himself from running over to the Tower and telling his friend everything.

Five minutes after Terra left, Robin’s wrist communicator rung. Robin grimaced.

“Slade,” Robin greeted, schooling his expression.

“Robin.” Even three months later, Slade’s voice never failed to chill him to his core. It had been in too many of his nightmares to do anything else.

“Is this about the speedster?” There was no point in hiding it from Slade. If by some chance he hadn’t seen the news yet, Robin knew he would be punished when Slade found out later if he kept it quiet.

“Kid Flash? No, he’s irrelevant. I have reliable intel that he’s only staying in Jump for a weekend and I have no missions lined up for you yet.”

Just the weekend. That was good. Wally would throw off the entire team dynamic. If they replaced him, they needed someone more like Raven: calm, collected, and unflappable. If Robin had been more like that, maybe things would have turned out differently.

“I think you’re underestimating him.” The words slipped out before Robin could think about it.

Slade’s expression was hidden by that damn mask, but his one blue eye didn’t narrow the way it did when he upset him. “Why’s that?”

“Kid Flash is one of my oldest friends and he can search the entirety of the city before I can finish a bowl of cereal. He’s more experienced than the Titans and knows me better than they did. Plus, he’s loyal to a fault. He’s not going to rest the entire time he’s here,” Robin warned.

“I’ll admit that he’s a decent hero, but he’s no detective. If you couldn’t find the penthouse, then neither will he,” Slade said, giving Robin one of his prefered backhanded compliments. “However, if you think he’s going to be that problematic, I could release a few bots downtown to keep him off our trail.”

Robin shook his head. “If the bots didn’t have a discernible goal, it would show our hand. Prove that we’re trying to throw him off.”

He could tell his answer pleased Slade. “Well thought out, apprentice.”

“If you weren’t calling about Kid Flash, then what did you want to tell me?” Robin asked, trying to ignore how much that simple praise affected him.

“Two things and then I have to get back to my contract. You got the chemicals without difficulty, correct?”

“Of course. The vial is waiting for you in your office. I didn’t have to engage anyone.”

Slade nodded sharply, as much approval as he would allow himself to show during a debriefing. “Consider that a final test of sorts. You’ll be allowed to complete more missions without me talking to you the whole time.”

As much as he’d hoped for this, it felt like a hollow victory. Maybe Slade would be silent during his missions, but he’d still be watching through the microcameras in his suit and holding the button to the Titan’s nanobots the whole time.

“Thank you.” Both of them heard how forced it was, but Slade seemed to decide to let it slide.

“And secondly, I won’t be back until tomorrow night. The Flash is being a pest and delaying the entire mission. Until I’m back, Terra’s training is in your hands.”

Robin frowned. “What do you want me to teach her? Our skill sets are about as different as they come.”

“Make sure she sticks to the training regiment I set up, but during her breaks, she’s your pupil. Teach her self defense or gymnastics or meditation for all I care. Just don’t let her be idle,” Slade ordered.

Robin bowed his head. “Yes, master.”

He could practically feel the smugness radiating off Slade. “Good luck, apprentice.”

Even after the communicator went dark, Robin didn’t dare lash out like he wanted to. Anger bubbled up, his jaw clenched as he forced himself to control his already ragged breaths, his body as stiff as a board. He curled his hand into a fist to keep from hurling the communicator into the TV’s screen like he’d done to the Batcomputer two years ago. He wouldn’t be surprised if Slade was watching him through one of the many cameras in the penthouse.

Anger was what got him into this mess, he reminded himself. If he hadn’t been so eager to bring Slade down himself, he never would have confronted Slade alone, giving the mercenary time to infect the Titans. Anger hadn’t done him any good since. Every fight and argument with Slade had only ended with bruises and the looming threat of the button forcing him to his knees.

Submission and silence were his new friends. With them, Robin’s bruises healed and his friends remained unharmed. With them, Slade let him move from the lair to the penthouse. With them, Robin was able to practice his acrobatics without interference. With them, he was able to protect Terra instead of suffering alongside her.

Once his breathing was steady and his muscles relaxed, Robin headed to his room to change. Maybe a few hours on the trapeze would help him shake off Slade’s lingering presence and memories of Wally West.


	3. Chapter 3

“I don’t know what you’re hoping to find. All of us have searched the place and Batman agreed that there were no clues anywhere,” Cyborg said, standing with his arms crossed in the doorway, the other Titans clustered in the hall behind him.

“You were looking for something that would tie Robin and Slade together. I’m looking for proof that he left unwillingly,” Wally said, his eyes raking over the messy room. Technically, everything was in its place, but as his obsession with Slade grew, more and more files had found their way into his bedroom instead of the evidence room.

“Kid Flash, you might have to accept that Robin went willingly,” Raven said carefully, ignoring the crackling sound behind her that meant Starfire was trying to rein in her starbolts.

The speedster turned towards her, his expression somber. “Do you really believe that?”

Honestly, Raven didn’t know what to believe. At first, she had been like the others and refused to believe their leader would ever betray them. But then the evidence to the contrary started piling up. He never left any clues for them to, never pulled his punches, and never even spoke to them. Even worse, raven’s empathic abilities had never lied to her and it was quite obvious that Robin didn’t want to come with them and was terrified of failing his new master.

“I think it’s a possibility that we have to keep in mind,” she said slowly, not wanting to set off Starfire or Kid Flash.

To her relief, Kid Flash nodded. “I know. Rob’s had a rough life. Slade could have manipulated his daddy problems or dug up some other stuff about his past, but I think that it's far more likely that Slade’s blackmailing him. Like I said, there should be something in here that will prove it one way or another.”

“Maybe if you told us what you’re looking for, we could help you,” Beast Boy said, scowling. Normally, he’d be ecstatic to have another young hero in the Tower, but all the talk about Robin had put them in a foul mood.

“Fair point,” Kid Flash conceded. “When Robin left Gotham, he didn’t grab much. Just his gear and one briefcase of personal stuff. If Robin chose to join Slade, he would have taken the briefcase with him. If he was unwilling, Slade wouldn’t have given him a chance to grab it.”

“Uh, guys? Would that be the briefcase Batman spent like hours looking at?” Beast Boy asked, shifting restlessly.

Raven and Cyborg looked at each other, cautious hope rising. “It could be,” Cyborg said, as if they were in the middle of a conversation about it already. “It was one of the first things Batman looked for and Rob was always super protective of it.”

Raven nodded, dropping her crossed arms. “I think Kid Flash is right. Robin wouldn’t have left without it.”

“Does that mean—” Starfire began to ask before cutting herself off, her luminous green eyes wide and pleading.

“Yeah, Star. It means Robin didn’t leave us,” Cyborg said, smiling softly.

“ _Yes!_ ” she exclaimed, doing a quick backflip in the air. Kid Flash laughed at her enthusiasm, but her teammates could do nothing but stare. It’d been so long since they’d last seen her fly.

“So what’s your plan now that we know Robin isn’t willing?” Cyborg asked Kid Flash. Though he tried to slip back into his no nonsense leader persona, he couldn’t hide his smile.

“No idea, he said cheerfully. They all stared at him. “What? This was a last minute trip. I only found out about the Renegade thing yesterday.”

Cyborg sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Does anyone know you’re here?”

“Um, aside from the League? Every town I ran through, including Jump, probably noticed the yellow blur that passed through.”

Cyborg sighed again. “Depending on how much of a threat Slade thinks you are, he might keep Robin cooped up until you leave.”

“What good would fighting him do? You guys can’t beat him and one of the first things Batman taught him was how to take down everyone on the League, including the Flash. I don’t think I can beat him.”

“So if we can’t save him by going in guns blazing, we need to figure out what Slade knows or has that he uses to control Robin,” Raven said. “I’ve already determined that it isn’t mind control or magic, but Slade has to have some kind of leverage over him.”

“I mean, isn’t he just threatening him? If Deathstroke the Terminator said join me or die, I’d be pretty scared,” Beast Boy admitted.

“If you think Robin cares about his own life, then you don’t know him at all,” Wally said quietly. “He would give up everything for the cause.”

“What is more important to him than his own life?” Starfire asked.

Kid Flash shrugged. “The only thing Rob wouldn’t sacrifice is the people he cares about. And that’s a short list.”

“Who’s on it?” Raven asked, inexplicably tense.

“You mean the ones who are still alive? Batman, Alfred, a few Leaguers and their sidekicks, me, and you guys, of course.”

“How many people on that list could Slade have gotten access to?” Cyborg asked.

Kid Flash frowned. “I hate to say it, but you guys are the most likely options. The others are well protected.”

“You’re right, though. Slade’s been working exclusively out of Jump City for months, and we’re Robin’s current teammates. We’re the logical targets if Slade needed to manipulate Robin,” Raven said, tugging at the gems on her sleeves.

“The only problem with that theory is that Slade doesn’t have anything on us. Or, if he does, he hasn’t used it,” Cyborg argued.

“That’s because he hasn’t needed to. Robin’s been his flawless apprentice for three months. Hurting us unnecessarily would have only served to make Robin hate him even more.”

“Even if he hasn’t needed to use it, Slade must have something tangible that he’s holding over Robin. First order of business is finding out what that is,” Cyborg said.

Silence descended. Kid Flash shifted awkwardly. “Right. Sooo...where do we start?”

…

“Are you sure about this?” Terra asked, peering down at the trampoline below with wide eyes. Robin was just happy that they weren’t glowing yellow.

“Positive. Slade said I could train you however I want to. This is how I want to,” Robin said as he made his way across the mats on the floor with a series of controlled flips and rolls.

“Okay, but why _this_?” Terra asked, gesturing at the trampoline.

Robin landed lightly on the balls of his feet and glanced up at the girl. She looked completely out of place in the one room Robin genuinely allowed himself to like. The gym, after all, had been made exactly to his specifications and took up nearly half of Slade’s underground lair. Everything in there was a reward from Slade and probably the only reason he hadn’t gone insane. Terra didn’t understand why he allowed Slade to buy him extremely expensive acrobatic equipment when he didn’t even let him buy posters for his bedroom walls, and to be honest, Robin had a hard time justifying it to himself. In the end, he always shoved down his guilt by losing himself on trapeze and ignoring it the rest of the time.

“Why not?” he challenged, dipping his hands onto the chalk dish and heading over to the parallel bars.

“Because what does jumping on a trampoline have to do with controlling rocks?”

“Absolutely nothing.”

Terra glared at him, her face screwed up in annoyance. Not anger, though he could tell he was pushing her limits. “Then why am I doing it?”

“Do you trust me, Terra?” he asked instead of answering.

Terra bit her lip, edging her toe along the side of the platform. Finally, she nodded. “I do.”

“Do you think I would do anything to hurt you?”

“Never,” Terra said without hesitation.

Robin’s heart swelled at the swiftness and certainty of her response. He allowed a small grin to flicker on his face before saying, “Jump.”

Terra gulped, but didn’t disobey. Robin watched as she fell, golden hair streaming out behind her far more gracefully than her flailing limbs. The circus brat in him couldn’t help but critique her fall before the hero in him refocused.

Terra hit the trampoline with a yelp and went flying back up. The dirt in the potted plants in the corner of the room started rattling, but didn’t leave the pot. That was honestly more than Robin expected from her.

“How’re you doing?” Robin asked as he did a handstand on the parallel bars.

“I never want to leave the floor again,” Terra grumbled as she climbed off the trampoline.

“Then I got some bad news for you,” Robin quipped. “Do it again.”

“Again?”

“Yes, again. Did you think your training was only going to be a minute long?”

“I was hoping this was a warmup and we’d spar now,” Terra said, frowning. “Can’t we just do that?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’ll learn a lot more up there than on the mat.”

“What am I supposed to learn up there?” Terra asked, eyes flashing.

“Why don’t you go up there and find out?”

Terra groaned and stomped over to the ladder, muttering under her breath as she went. “Don’t even know why I bother.”

Robin usually indulged her questions during training since Slade sure as hell didn’t, but today’s lesson was one that was better demonstrated. He felt bad that he was frustrating her since she typically enjoyed the rare times Slade let Robin train her, but not enough to stop.

Terra didn’t scream this time around, but her arms and legs still windmilled wildly around, giving her all the wrong momentum. She nearly went flying off the side of the trampoline. The dirt in the potted plants rattled again, but didn’t come flying out. No real progress. Not that he minded. He knew it would take more than two tries to get the point across.

“Now are you going to tell me?” Terra demanded as she dropped back onto the floor.

“Get a sip of water and then go again.”

Terra flicked dirt in his face. He let her. From her point of view, it was deserved.

Robin continued his routine as Terra went up again and again, asking each time if she was done. The answer didn’t change, but Terra’s mood certainly did. Frustration became exasperation until it melted into true anger.

Robin kept flipping.

“I’m not going up there again,” Terra growled, storming towards him. The rocky floor of the lair shook slightly, her eyes starting to glow.

“And why’s that?”

“Because it has nothing to do with my powers at all. Slade wouldn’t—”

“Slade isn’t here and that means I’m in charge. If I tell you to go up there again, you will.”

Terra looked downright mutinous, but there was no yellow glow around her. “ _Are_ you going to?”

Robin leapt off, doing a double flip before landing on the balls of his feet. If he were an Olympian, the judges would be on their feet. His actual audience was far less impressed.

“No, I won’t. You learned the lesson. Or at least you’re starting to,” Robin said as he headed towards the water fountain in the corner of the room.

Any control Terra had was gone. Dick dropped into a quick roll, the ball of dirt flying over him, before springing back onto his feet and drinking from the fountain.

_“What lesson?”_ Terra screamed at his back. “What are you even talking about?”

Robin was unperturbed. Terra’s tantrums were a sight to behold, but the truth was she was nowhere near Robin’s level, much less Slade’s.

“Well, I’m not going to tell you if you keep throwing stuff at me,” Robin said evenly, raising an eyebrow at her glowing eyes.

Terra glared, but closed her eyes nonetheless and sucked in deep breaths. Robin waited until the glow faded away before speaking.

“Your powers aren’t enough, Terra. When Slade sends you out in the field, and he will, even if it’s a month or a year from now, your powers won’t help you at all if you can’t stay calm. When Cyborg blasts you with a sonic frequency, your rocks will protect your body, but you won’t win if you panic. You need to be in control one hundred percent of the time otherwise you might as well ask the Titans to cuff you.”

“What does any of that have to do with trampolines?”

Robin met her gaze, his face as blank as his masked eyes. “It’s not about the trampoline. It’s about the fall.”

Robin started climbing the ladder, gesturing for Terra to follow him. Her mouth was pressed into a tight line, but she knew better than to refuse again. His quiet was far deadlier than his angry shouts. Even Slade tried not to cross him when he went deathly calm.

Terra’s breath hitched as she stepped onto the platform, Robin staring impassively at her, his back to the edge.

“You’re afraid of heights,” Robin noted. Terra knew better than to deny it. “It makes sense. You don’t have easy access to dirt and stone. If you fall, you feel like you’ve lost control, and no one likes that. Being up here takes you completely out of your element.”

“So?”

Robin’s lips twitched. “So if you project your fear when you’re fighting the Titans, they’ll take advantage of that. What would you do if Beast Boy turned into a pterodactyl and carried you up in the sky? Starfire could carry you off easily with her strength, and Raven could teleport you up and let you plummet down for ages before plopping you back onto the ground. What do you do then?”

Understanding dawned in Terra’s eyes. “You’re trying to make me get over my fear.”

Robin almost grinned. “Close. Your fear is too deep to help you get over it in the time Slade gives us and to be honest, curing you of it would be pointless because the second you fall in the field, your fear will come back. No, I want to teach you to control your panic. You can be as afraid as you want as long as you are able to work through it, to not let it distract you.”

“And you couldn’t have told me this _before_ we started? Terra grumbled.

That finally coaxed out a grin. “It might have affected your performance.”

“Was your mentor this much of a hardass?” Terra asked. Not even a second later, her eyes went wide. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“It’s okay, Terra. I’m not mad,” he said gently, ignoring the tight feeling in his gut. “But Slade doesn’t want either of us talking about my last mentor. You know that.”

“I know, I know. It just slipped out,” Terra rushed to say.

Robin nodded. “I understand. Hey, we’ve been at this for awhile. Why don’t you freshen up while I get lunch started?”

Terra nodded and smiled, but he could tell she still felt bad. “Sounds good. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

Terra darted out. Robin waited until the doors swung shut behind her before sighing. It wasn’t her fault that she was so curious about him and he certainly didn’t blame her. God knows if their positions were reversed he would want to know who his fellow prisoner was. Still, every time Terra slipped up, every time he watched the news, every time he caught a glimpse of the Tower when he was on the way to his next target, Robin felt that same painful clench in his gut. That was all the feeling he dared to express.

Slade had made it no secret that he didn’t expect just to replace Batman as a mentor, but a father. As such, Slade had made it a strict rule that Batman was never to be mentioned unless he pertained specifically to a mission. What Slade didn’t understand was that Batman had been his partner, not master, and that Bruce was doing a great job of turning his ward against him without Slade’s help. After all, it’d been over a year since they’d talked to each other and it really didn’t seem like he was trying too hard to rescue him.

Robin knew it was harsh for him to think of Bruce so negatively when he logically knew that Bruce was probably losing his mind over all this. And he understood Bruce had other responsibilities. He was CEO of Wayne Enterprises, defender of Gotham, and a leading member of the Justice League. He couldn’t devote all his time to searching for Robin no matter how much both of them wished he could. Robin would just have to be patient and hope they discovered the nanobots sooner rather than later.


	4. Chapter 4

The four Titans and Kid Flash decided that until they figured out what Slade was using to blackmail Robin or at least had a plan of action, they weren’t leaving the Tower. At first, that had seemed like a good idea, but after a full twenty-four hours had passed and they were still at square one, they started to go stir crazy. Except for Raven, none of them were used to staying inside for so long.

“The pizza guy should be here in twenty minutes,” Cyborg said, walking back into the common room.

Raven didn’t even look up from her book as Kid Flash let out a loud groan right next to her on the couch, his legs thrown over the top and his head dangling inches from the floor.

“I could run and get a pizza here in seconds,” Kid Flash moaned.

“You’re the one who suggested the lockdown,” Raven commented pointedly, her eyes fixed on the page.

“It’s what Rob and I used to do whenever we got our own cases in the early days. That way Flash and Batman wouldn’t worry that we’d go after criminals without being prepared,” KF explained.

“You spent much time with Robin, did you not?” Starfire asked, abandoning the computer files she’d been skimming.

“More time than anyone but the Bat himself,” he quipped. “Why? What’s up?”

“You know him best of all of us, as much as it may hurt us to admit. What would Slade . . . have over us,” Starfire continued haltingly, the phrase new to her, “that would scare Robin?”

“I dunno. Any of you guys got juicy secrets in your past that Slade could be blackmailing him with?”

Although he was joking, the four teammates shifted uncomfortably, their gazes averted. Kid Flash sprung up, his hands planted on his hips.

“Just spit it out before I read all of Robin’s impressively large files on you guys.”

“We don’t talk about our pasts here. It’s not part of our M.O.,” Cyborg said firmly.

“And because of that, none of you know the slightest thing about Robin, so how’s that working out for you?” Kid Flash asked sarcastically. When none of them made any move to speak, he sighed loudly and ran out of the room.

“Kid!” Cyborg shouted.

“Yes?” Kid asked, skidding to a stop in front of them, a stack of papers in his hand.

“Did you read them already? Dude, so not cool!” Beast Boy exclaimed.

“Yeah, well, as weird as all your lives are, there’s not anything in these files that I could see Slade holding over Rob,” Kid said, blatantly ignoring Beast Boy as he flipped through some of the papers. “I mean, plenty of stuff I doubt you want the public knowing, but not anything really bad.”

“I’m guessing my file’s incomplete then,” Raven remarked dryly.

Kid snorted. “Your file is made of two pages and half of a dozen blurry security camera videos. If Rob couldn’t find more than that, Slade couldn’t either.”

“So we still don’t know why Rob’s with Slade,” Cyborg said, rubbing his face. “Any other ideas, Kid?”

Kid Flash frowned. “I guess Slade could be threatening you guys physically. That would shake Rob up bad. When’s the last time you checked your Tower’s security?”

“About two weeks after Robin left. You know, when it was clear he wasn’t coming back.”

“And it was fine. We did a full sweep of the Tower and the island and there was nothing unusual. Batman double checked when he came here and said everything was normal,” Raven added.

“I’m stumped then,” Kid Flash announced, falling backwards onto the couch for emphasis.

“If we cannot figure out why Robin is with Slade, can we not try something different?” Starfire asked, wringing her hands.

“You got an idea, Star?” Beast Boy added.

“Maybe. We have never been able to grab Robin before, but we have stunned him. If we can stun him again, Kid Flash can run him back to the Tower before he recovers.”

The room was quiet. Raven was frowning, her brow knit as she considered Star’s plan. Cyborg and Beast Boy seemed to be having a wordless argument, though who was winning was unclear. Kid Flash looked at Starfire with wide eyes.

Starfire’s stomach turned. “What? Is my plan not—”

“No, Star, there’s nothing wrong with your plan,” Cyborg rushed to assure her. “Actually, I can’t see anything wrong at all. I say we go for it.”

Kid nodded emphatically. “I can run Robin into the Tower in one second flat. The only thing we’d need to do is track down Rob and get a place to hold him.”

“We have a few holding cells here in the Tower,” Raven suggested.

“Yeah, but Robin’s the one who designed them,” Beast Boy pointed out.

“So we call up the Bat and make him redesign it. It’s the least he can do,” Kid grumbled.

“How long would that take?”

“Two or three days depending on how busy Batman is. And if he’ll even agree.”

“Why would he not agree?” Starfire inquired.

Kid snorted. “Because he’s him.”

Not for the first time, the Titans wished they knew more about Robin’s past, including his relationship with Batman and Kid Flash.

“Well, it can’t hurt to ask,” Cyborg said grimly, heading towards the main computer.

“With him, it can,” Kid grumbled.

“What are you talking about? I mean, the Bat’s not the most open and easy to work with guy, but he’s trying to find Robin, same as us.”

Kid just crossed his arms and leaned against the wall near the computer, frowning.

“You hate him, don’t you?” Raven asked quietly.

“Raven—” Beast Boy started to say, but Kid waved him off.

“It’s okay, BB. She’s right. And if you knew how many times Robin zeta tubed to Central City to get away from Batman for a night, you would too. Hell, Robin’s even ran away from home. Technically, he’s still a runaway. When Batman fired him, he didn’t kick him out of the house, just out of the Batcave.” Kid’s face was deadly serious, any trace of his usual humor gone.

After a pregnant pause, Kid sighed, his shoulders drooping. “Sorry, it’s just—sorry. If Rob wants to tell you all this, that’s his choice. I shouldn’t be talking about this. Ignore me.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Kid. None of us are big fans of the Bat,” Cyborg said. “Now, whoever doesn’t want to see him, you’d better leave.”

“Now way. I might hate him, but I still want to know what’s going on,” Kid said.”

“Star?”

“I agree with Kid Flash,” she said, standing behind Cyborg, her feet firmly on the ground.

“Okay then. Here we go,” Cyborg said, hitting the call button. The Bat insignia filled the screen before the Batman himself appeared.

“Titans. Kid Flash. Have you found Robin?” Batman asked, his voice flat.

“No, sir. But we do have a plan and we’d like your help with it,” Cyborg said. When Batman didn’t interrupt, Cyborg explained their plan in full, Kid Flash chiming in occasionally. Batman’s expression didn’t change, which clearly made Cyborg nervous as he started to hunch his shoulders more and more.

“So? You gonna help us?” Kid asked, scowling fiercely at the screen.

Batman tilted his head. “Your plan has merit.”

Kid groaned. “There’s totally a but coming.”

“But,” Batman continued, acknowledging Kid Flash, “there are a few key problems. Firstly, none of you have seen Robin in two weeks. There’s no guarantee you’ll see him anytime soon and Kid Flash will be needed in Central City sooner rather than later.”

“Once he pops up, Kid will be fast enough to delay him until the rest of us can get there,” Cyborg said.

“You still don’t know when he’ll resurface,” Batman pointed out.

“He has to eventually,” Raven said. “Slade hasn’t moved his operation out of Jump yet and Robin is his preferred agent.”

“Say Robin does show up and you catch up to him. He’s taken down all the Titans before and I trained him to be able to take down the entire Justice League, including the Flash. Yes, you’ve been able to stun him before, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to stun him again. Listen, I want to get him back as much as the rest of you, but I can’t allow you to keep endangering your lives to fix my mistakes. Robin is my partner. My responsibility,” Batman said solemnly, meeting each of their gazes individually.

“He _was_ your partner,” Kid corrected, his face as stony as the Bat’s, still leaning back against the wall. “He _was_ your responsibility. You ruined that. _You_. No one else.”

A tense silence fell over the room. Starfire and Beast Boy both looked like they wanted to lighten the mood but couldn’t see how to. Cyborg was watching Kid warily, and Raven’s keen eyes flickered between the screen and Kid as if she could sense both of their emotions even though only one of them was present.

“You know I would do anything to protect him, don’t you?” Batman asked Kid, ignoring the rest of them.

“I doubt even he knows that, much less me. Flash always says the mission comes first for you, and Robin certainly believes that.”

“The mission does come first. Except when it comes to family. It doesn’t matter what he’s done. Robin will always be my son, even if he’s not my partner,” Batman said, the emotion in his voice expressing everything his cowl hid. Even Kid looked convinced.

“If you really would do anything for him,” Raven said, her voice hardly more than a whisper,” help us. Please.”

Cyborg and Beast Boy looked at each other, bewildered. They knew Raven was closest to Robin of all her teammates, but she was the calm one, their anchor. She kept them focused and never let them get their hopes up unrealistically, so to hear her ask—beg—for Batman’s help was beyond surprising.

Batman’s mouth tightened. “Pick a holding cell. I’ll be there in three hours.”

…

Robin sighed in relief as the cool water soothed his aching muscles, the sting of it on his bloody knuckles barely registering in comparison. He rolled his shoulders and tilted his head from side to side, the throbbing dulling every second. It never failed to impress him that hours of sweat and blood from training could be washed away in a matter of minutes.

He grabbed the bar of soap and scrubbed down every inch of his body. He couldn’t hold in his hisses as he lathered his numerous bruises. He didn’t stop for a second, though. The steady patter of water hitting his back and head, the droplets that ran down his chest, the steam that fogged over the glass doors and mirror, the slick slide of soap over his skin, it all felt so real. So mundane. He could forget everything when he was in there. He could pretend he was only sore from a long day of training at the circus and that once he got out of the shower, he could go watch the rest of the performers rehearse. It was a nice fantasy, and one he indulged more than he should.

Robin’s teeth were chattering by the time he turned off the water, the patter turning into inconsistent drips until he was left in silence. He grabbed a towel on autopilot, patting himself down while staring blankly at his face in the mirror. When was the last time he’d looked at himself without the domino mask on? He’d never revealed his identity to the Titans or to Slade (although he suspected the latter had figured it out himself) so he’d been forced to wear it nearly 24/7 for over a year. Did his eyes used to be this dull? Were the bags under them normally this pronounced? Shouldn’t he be able to answer both those questions?

Robin toweled off his hair quickly and pulled on track pants and his domino mask before all but running out of the bathroom, eager to put distance between himself and his reflection. He knew it would be reckless to keep training, but a part of him didn’t care. Flying across the trapeze always made him feel better in a way not even being Robin could. Besides, what else did he have to do? Terra would be stuck training for another hour minimum and he’d already watched hours of the news. Watching TV or reading wouldn’t be able to hold his attention, a theory he’d tested several times during his time with Slade.

His mind made up, Robin set off down the hall, towards the elevator. He fantasized about trying to press another button and seeing if it would take him away from Slade’s floors, but he knew he would never even try. Not since his first week with Slade had he attempted to escape. As much as he dreamt of freedom, he knew he didn’t actually want it. He’d rather put a bullet through his own head than hurt the Titans.

“The gym,” Robin reminded himself sternly, sinking his short nails into his palm to keep his thoughts from spiralling any further.

He knew that the long, empty penthouse hallway would freak most people out. The entire place was eerily silent, and although the lights wouldn’t be out of place in a palace with how ornate they were, they cast long shadows and flickered ever so often. But after living in Wayne Manor for years, walking down that creepy hallway by himself was comforting in a bizarre way. Any bit of familiarity was welcome these days.

Terra’s bedroom door was wide open, as usual. Unlike Robin, she had accepted Slade’s offer to buy her belongings. She had a full (overflowing, if truth be told) wardrobe, a queen-sized bed, a new laptop, and several video game consoles. During the few times Slade let her have downtime, Terra offered to play a two player game with him. He refused every time. Video games were too reminiscent of the Titans. Not that he could tell her that, so she kept asking. He was never sure if she was lonely or just being polite. It didn’t matter either way.

Robin passed Terra’s room, a spare bedroom, and Slade’s office before he heard it. It was barely noticeable, except that he’d memorized all the sounds the penthouse made and that wasn’t the vents or the fridge. It was the sound of boots on the carpet. Someone was there. Someone was watching him.

He kept going, not changing his pace in the slightest, not even as his heartbeat accelerated. He knew the penthouse like the back of his hand, which just might be the only advantage he had. He considered bringing the fight to the kitchen where he’d have easy access to makeshift weapons, but without any armor to protect him, he didn’t want to provide his stalker with any other tools to use against him.

The safest bet would be to make a run for the safe room, but there was no guarantee he could outrun them. They were obviously skilled based on how they’d gotten into the penthouse in the first place and how they nearly escaped his notice. He’d been trained by Batman and half the Justice League before Slade took him. He wasn’t bragging when he said that it was no simple thing to tail him.

_So what should I do?_ Robin thought as he turned into the next hallway, the elevator plan abandoned. Getting trapped in a metal box scared him more than he cared to admit after a mission gone wrong in a Lexcorp building a year ago. In an effort not to tip his stalker off, he maintained his speed, but he was quickly running out of places to go.

_Screw it,_ he decided. Robin broke out into a sprint and was rewarded with the sound of boots thundering after him. One person, probably an adult, he deduced from the sound.

The end of the hallway came into sight. Robin darted forward, his stalker getting closer every moment. Right before he would have barreled through the door to the pantry, Robin ran up the wall, kicked off the top of the doorway, and landed in a crouch behind his assailant, every muscle in his body tensed and ready for a fight.

“Well done, apprentice,” Slade said, turning around slowly, careful to keep his hands away from his weapons.

“You couldn’t have just said hi like a normal person?” Robin growled, not moving out of his stance. If his heartbeat had been elevated before, it was trying to hammer itself out of his chest now.

“You’ve gone two days without a test or mission. I need to make sure your skills stay sharp,” Slade said nonchalantly, leaning against the wall. “You know, I would have thought you’d go to the kitchen. You hadn’t passed it yet when you noticed me.”

_When you let me notice you,_ Robin wanted to correct him. Instead, he said, “I considered it. Too much could go wrong in there, though. Too many variables.”

Though that black and orange mask hid his expression, Robin could hear how pleased Slade was when he said, “A sound decision and well thought out. You pass this test, Robin.” When Robin didn’t stand up, he dryly added, “That means I’m not going to attack you.”

Robin stood. Slade never lied. Manipulated and omitted the truth, sure, but he never outright lied. It was a refreshing change of pace after his last partner, even if Bruce was better in every other way.

_Don’t think about him,_ he scolded himself. _Especially not in front of Slade_.

“Is Terra training right now?” Slade asked conversationally, as if he hadn’t followed Robin through the halls a minute ago.

“She was last I checked half an hour ago.”

“And she didn’t cause you any trouble?” Slade laughed before Robin could even open his mouth to answer. “Why am I asking? You wouldn’t tell me even if she did.”

Robin shrugged, the movement stiff and forced. “That’s true. To be honest, though, she’s been perfect. Followed your schedule to a T and didn’t even complain that much when I made her jump from the trapeze platform repeatedly.”

“What’d you do that for?”

“Fear training. She’s scared of heights and falling. Trying to break her out of it in a controlled environment seemed like an important addition to her training.”

“It seems like you’re interested in taking a more active role in her training,” Slade commented. He pushed off the wall. “Follow me.”

Slade started walking. Robin fell in line with him, careful not to go faster than him and to keep a few inches between them. If it bothered Slade, he was in a good enough mood not to say anything.

“So? Are you?” Slade asked.

“I’m not interested in training her the way you are,” Robin said carefully.

Slade snorted. “Yes, I imagine you’re not. However, there’s plenty more that Terra needs to learn that I haven’t taught her yet. There’s even a few things that you may be better suited to teach her than me.”

Robin hated how good that praise made him feel. He hated how all the rage and fear and emptiness that had swirled inside him evaporated in seconds. But most of all, he hated himself for being so weak.

“What do you have in mind?” Robin asked, fighting to keep his voice neutral and succeeding for the most part.

Slade’s one eye glanced at him, but decided to stride into his office instead of asking what that was about. Robin took a seat as Slade picked up the chemicals he’d left on the desk. The mercenary held a vial of the yellowish acid up to the light and shook it, the liquid sloshing against the glass.

“Looks good. My buyer will be most pleased. Is there anything you want me to buy with my latest paycheck? Aside from equipment,” Slade added.

Robin clenched his jaw. “Nothing.”

“Really? You’re still punishing yourself?” Slade sighed, setting down the chemicals. Slade reached up to the back of his mask and unfastened the restraints. Black matte and copper was set aside, revealing a black eyepatch, frown lines, and white hair. Slade turned his characteristic frown on Robin. “I find it hard to believe that there’s nothing you want considering your room is nearly as empty as the guest rooms.”

“There’s nothing I want that you can buy,” Robin corrected, hiding his clenched fists under the desk.

“Any of your belongings can be retrieved from Titans Tower,” Slade said, unfazed. “Just say the word.”

The thought of Slade or his associates setting foot in Titans Tower, rooting through his room while the Titans slept obliviously next door, made his stomach turn. He schooled his expression before he could grimace.

“Not interested. Now what did you mean about Terra’s training?”

Slade’s mouth quirked up. “You’re in a prickly mood today. Normally, you’re subtler about changing the topic.”

_Out of self preservation,_ he was tempted to say. Quips might have worked in Gotham, but they wouldn’t work here. Not when Slade’s mood was so mercurial.

“I was heading to the gym before you showed up,” Robin said by way of explanation.

Slade nodded. “Go do that then. We can talk about Terra tomorrow. Besides, I need to go pick her up.”

He should have been relieved. He wasn’t.

“And try not to work yourself too hard. Your mask doesn’t hide how tired you are,” Slade added as Robin stood up numbly.

“Yes, master.”

If Robin hated himself for wanting Slade’s praise, he hated himself even more for how easily he said those two words.

_I’m sorry, Bruce._


	5. Chapter 5

“Stay sharp. Everyone’s coming tonight, and that means some people who haven’t seen you before,” Slade ordered Robin, the sound coming through clearly over the comms.

“So what? They’re not going to try anything with you there.” Robin’s annoyance was obvious, even though Terra could only hear him speak, not see his expression.

Terra pulled the blanket draped around her shoulders tighter as another draft wafted through the underground lair. Despite being bundled up in her softest, warmest clothes and bringing her biggest blanket, she still shivered every time another draft came. She didn’t know if the giant gears that powered Slade’s lair caused the drafts or if they were just a side effect of having a lair in the sewers, but it was freezing. She could block it out during training, but with nothing physical to do, she could only snuggle down further into the enormous chair and hope she’d warm up soon.

The giant screen in front of her was split into two, one showing the feed coming from Slade’s mask and the other Robin’s. Normally, she had to split her attention between the two, but tonight was different. They weren’t casing a joint or shaking down a crime boss who had tried to cross Slade. No, tonight they were presenting a united front as Slade met with the biggest players in Jump City and solidified his claim. All Terra had to do was watch and learn from the safety of the lair and be their hidden ace in case things went sideways.

“They’ll be sizing you up the entire time. The news hasn’t released any decent footage of you fighting the Titans so they have no idea how skilled you are,” Slade answered, the footage showing that both of them were watching the building the meeting was taking place in from the opposite rooftop, side by side. “Terra, are you getting all of this?”

Terra lunged forward and pressed the red button that let her talk to them, her blanket pooling on the chair behind her. “Yes, master,” she said. “I can hear both of you.”

“Tell us if it gets fuzzy right away. If you lose us, flip the blue switch and we’ll know that we’ve lost contact.”

Terra rolled her eyes, something Slade would slap her for if he could see. He’d already told her what to do a thousand times and this was her fourth time on comms for them, not her first. Terra hated that this was as close to the action as Slade would allow her, but she knew better than to try to argue with him. Slade was keeping her a secret so that when he did finally use her, no one would see it coming. She didn’t have a problem with this except for that it was looking less and less likely that he was ever going to unleash her since he kept coming up with things he wanted to teach her.

Terra wasn’t suicidal, so she didn’t say any of that. Instead, she said, “Of course, master.”

“Movement on the east side,” Robin said.

Terra slouched back into her chair, watching as the two of them swiveled to get a better view. Robin’s mask automatically zoomed in, giving Terra a full view of the people climbing out of the sleek black limo. Hooded men came out first and once they scanned the area, they helped out an older woman. Her steely gray hair was pulled back into a tight chignon and her cheekbones looked sharp enough to cut. The men fell in line beside her, but despite the guns they blatantly held, Terra had the feeling the woman was more than capable of taking care of herself.

Slade muttered a curse. He spun around to glower at Robin, the former hero’s face filling the right screen. “If she tries to talk to you, don’t respond. Don’t engage at all unless your life depends on it. Understand?”

Robin knit his brows, which was only visible because of how his mask scrunched at the top. “I already said I’d move on your command.”

Slade jabbed a finger towards her retreating figure, half hidden by the overhang above the door. “That woman is the only one I respect in this city. She’s the only one who poses a threat to our operations. I deal with her.”

Robin tossed his hands up in surrender, scowling. “I’m not going in there to pick a fight. If you’re so worried that I’m going to screw up, why’d you bother to bring me? It’s not like _I_ want to be here.”

Terra winced. That was the wrong thing to say.

“You don’t get to question me, _apprentice_ ,” Slade growled, towering above Robin. “I may let your insolence slide from time to time, but you should be smart enough to know—”

As the fight began to escalate, Terra slouched down even further. She heard enough of them screaming at each other in both the penthouse and the lair, when they thought she was sleeping or too busy training to overhear. Robin tried not to pick a fight in front of her, but half the time, he got mad enough that he just didn’t care. At their worst, words would give way to shoving which was inevitably followed by an honest to God _fight_ —the kind Terra knew they had before Slade had managed to ensnare Robin.

Terra spun her chair around, her back to the monitor, as she tried to ignore their furious whispers. It would almost be comical that they were aware enough to not blow their cover if Terra weren’t terrified. She knew that they were both making more of an effort to not come to blows now that she was in the picture, but that didn’t mean she could just forget all the fights she’d seen, especially not when she could still hear them arguing over the comms and see the dent in the wall from where—

_Robin’s fist smashed into the pipe, his metal gauntlet protecting his fingers from the unforgiving steel. The Boy Wonder growled like an animal and whirled around, his teeth bared as Slade straightened from the crouch he’d dropped into to avoid Robin’s punch._

_“I_ thought _we were past this,” Slade said through gritted teeth as they circled around each other, two predators sizing up their opponent._

_Robin’s bitter laugh bounced off the rocky walls of the lair, the grinding gears above failing to mask how deranged it sounded. It was a mockery of the cackles countless Gotham news cameras had recorded as he flipped and kicked his way to victory time and time again. Terra got goosebumps as she ducked further behind the door, scared of what they would do if they saw her watching but unable to look away._

_“I guess even a genius like you has to miscalculate sometimes,” Robin sneered, so different from the boy who quietly bandaged her injury after training and made her breakfast in the morning even though he himself didn’t eat anything unless Slade was there to force him to. “You should have known this would happen. You should have known that I wouldn’t let you take on another_ apprentice _. You keep pushing and pushing like one day I’m going to wake up and be okay with all the shit you do, when you know how I was raised._ Who _I was raised by.”_

_Slade’s nostrils flared, his one eye going wide. “Don’t you dare say his name or I’ll—”_

_“You’ll what?” Robin interrupted, still circling around him, step by step. “Kill him? If you could, you would have already.”_

_Terra knew that was the breaking point even before she saw Slade go preternaturally still. She cringed, gripping the door so tightly that her fingers went white, the pebbles by her feet rattling and rolling. They hung suspended in the air as she stood helplessly by as Slade darted forward, pure rage on his face._

_Terra could barely see Slade he was moving so fast, but Robin was ready. He dove to the side, Slade’s kick skimming the tips of his hair. The metal plating on his thighs screeched against the rocky floor of the lair, but Robin didn’t slow down for a second. He rolled to his feet and threw himself at Slade, punching and kicking and flipping faster than Terra could follow._

_She couldn’t say how long she stood there petrified as Slade and Robin fought. They utilized everything around them: the gears, the sloped floor, even each other’s armor. Although Terra could tell Slade was winning, Robin was putting up a hell of a fight. He even managed to slug Slade in the mouth, his armor tearing Slade’s lip and chin enough to draw blood. But even the former leader of the Titans couldn’t stand up to the world’s deadliest mercenary._

_“Stand down, Robin. This has gone on long enough,” Slade said, taking a step back from the boy, an enormous gear rotating away behind him, oblivious to the conflict that had wrecked most of the gears and equipment around it._

_Robin spat blood onto the floor, a jagged cut on his cheek from Slade’s backhand earlier coloring the right side of his face scarlet in a macabre mockery of Slade’s mask._

_“I’ll decide when this is over,” Robin said, his voice deathly soft._

_Terra winced as Robin charged Slade, fury emanating from him as he pulled back his fist with bared teeth, ready to start round two, consequences be damned. It might have worked, honestly, if Slade hadn’t decided to stop playing._

_Right before Robin’s fist would have sucker punched him, Slade grabbed his wrist and whirled around, his expression wild as he swung Robin like a baseball bat right into the gear, his back slamming into the unforgiving metal. Terra heard his bones break a second before Robin’s scream echoed all throughout the lair._

_Slade dropped him. Like a marionette with its strings cut, Robin fell to the floor, screams giving way to harsh pants, his breath kicking up the dirt and dust of the rocky floor. Terra knew he couldn’t have been hurt too badly because of how strong his armor was, but anyone would be down for the count after that last blow._

_Slade eyed the crumpled heap of his apprentice impassively, ignoring the blood trickling down his chin. “Try anything like this again and I’ll fry your friends alive. Are we clear?”_

_Robin groaned as he forced himself to roll over enough so that he could face his jailer. Blood and dust discolored his armor and face, but Robin’s voice was clear as he growled, “I hate you.”_

_Slade snorted and walked away, his back to Robin. “But not anymore than you hate yourself.”_

The monitor pinged, signaling that their masks had picked up on something. Terra spun back around, heart hammering, but after a quick scan of their camera feeds, she couldn’t pinpoint anything that was out of place so she doubted it was a visual anomaly, which meant she had to interrupt their fight to tell Slade.

_Great. Just great,_ Terra thought sarcastically to herself as she hit the red button again.

“Master, your mask is picking up on something in your area,” Terra said, cutting off Robin.

Robin’s feed shot to the side as the boy turned away from Slade. From Slade’s monitor, Terra could see he’d turned around and crossed his arms, sulking like the teenage boy he was.

Slade sighed and said, “Stay vigilant and alert us if there are any more anomalies. We’ll be heading inside in a minute.”

“Yes, master.”

“Robin.” To say it was anything but a growled threat would be a lie.

“Yes, _master_.”

Terra suppressed a groan. Robin was normally so cautious, picking his words, his tone, his pose out painstakingly to fit Slade’s moods. Most of the time, he treated Slade like he was a minefield he’d been forced to navigate blind, but sometimes Robin just didn’t seem to care that Slade could kill him and his friends effortlessly. Sometimes, Terra thought he _wanted_ Slade to hit him. It certainly looked like he wanted it right now considering that he was all but goading Slade into a fight despite the fact that they were across the street from a gathering of supervillains.

Though Robin and her frequently complained about how swiftly Slade’s moods could change, Terra thought that Robin was just as bad. Not that she’d ever say that to either of them, but it was exhausting to have to measure every word (and lack of words) from the only two people she saw. As for Robin’s moods, just last night, Slade and Robin had been getting along fine as Robin guided her through self defense training. Slade had even complimented Robin’s technique and skill, and the boy had soaked up the praise even if he’d vehemently deny it. But today, they were at each other’s throats. Terra could never tell what set Robin off that made him vacillate between the perfect apprentice and reckless mutineer. She doubted Slade could either.

The two of them spent a few more minutes scoping out the area before concluding that with everyone already waiting inside and their masks not picking up any unusual activity, it was time for them to head inside.

Terra couldn’t help but giggle as she watched the two of them stride inside, Robin half a step behind Slade. The mercenary was so much taller than his apprentice that watching their feed was like watching two cameras stacked on top of each other; the only difference was in the height.

Terra stopped laughing when she saw the people already sitting inside, their eyes boring into Slade and Robin’s masks.

A few clicks on the keyboard and Terra got the computer to run facial recognition, revealing that the woman that Slade was so concerned about was the H.I.V.E. Headmistress. The info blurb alongside her name showed the links to Slade’s files on missions they’d done together, including one that looked like Slade had hired her students to kill the Teen Titans. Since the Titans were all alive, Terra concluded that not only did the H.I.V.E. students fail, but they were the ones who got Robin on Slade’s radar. Aside from Slade himself, the H.I.V.E. was Jump City’s number one enemy. If Robin had been able to stop them, that would have caught Slade’s attention.

Two H.I.V.E. thugs flanked the Headmistress. Terra assumed the rest of them were waiting outside since she couldn’t see any sign of them in the room. Although Slade had set up the meeting with the clear instructions that only the leaders and their right hand men could come, he didn’t bat an eye at her guards. That must mean that Slade respected her enough to not pick a fight over disobeying his orders, Terra realized. She was growing more interesting by the second.

Terra turned her attention to the man sitting next to the Headmistress. Professor Chang was unfortunately someone Terra knew all too well. Slade was in constant contact with him as he controlled a significant portion of Jump’s black market and was the one who made Slade’s robots. The guy creeped her out and Terra knew that Robin had his own grudge against him, but Slade wouldn’t stop dealing with him just because his apprentices didn’t like him. He had followed Slade’s rules and only had one man behind him, dressed in a white hazmat suit just like the professor.

On the Headmistress’s other side sat a dark haired woman. Foreign, if Terra were to guess. She pulled up her blurb and saw that she was called Madame Rouge. Her affiliation was listed to be with a group called the Brotherhood of Evil, which Terra was positive wasn’t based in Jump. She had never heard of them, but it wasn’t surprising to find that Slade was in talks with a group that literally had evil in their name.

“I’m so glad you all could make it,” Slade said in the flat voice he always used when he was wearing the mask. Actually, he only ever really abandoned it when he was talking to Robin, and that one time Terra had seen him talk to Wintergreen.

“I’ll always make time for my best client,” the Headmistress said, giving Slade a crooked smile that Terra imagined he returned under his mask.

“My thanks,” he said, still walking into the room.

“It vould have been rude to ignore such an intriguing invitation,” Madame Rouge said, her accent thick and throaty. European, though from what country, Terra couldn’t tell. “My associates have been most impressed by your recent accomplishments.”

Slade inclined his head as he took his seat opposite from the Headmistress, Robin staying a half a step behind his chair. “I’m pleased to hear that. I trust you’ve encountered no trouble in my city?”

She clicked her tongue. “Those pesky children— _Titans_ —are of no concern to me or mine. Ve have fought Beast Boy before. He did not prove a challenge.”

“I’m not questioning your skill, Madame, merely asking if they know you are here.”

“Of course not,” she snapped.

“Good. Though they may not be much of a threat, they’ve been in much closer contact with the League lately, and I doubt any of us want to draw their attention,” Slade said. Madame Rouge looked disgruntled, but she nodded. “Now, can we get to business or is there anything else we must discuss?”

“What’s the rush?” the Headmistress asked, her eyes landing on Robin. “You haven’t even introduced your friend yet.”

“This is Renegade, my apprentice. I’m sure you’ve heard about the work he’s been doing for me,” Slade said, waving a hand dismissively behind him. “He’s here to learn.”

“But where did you find such a talented boy?” she persisted. Terra scrunched her nose, grossed out by the fascinated gleam in her eyes. It looked like Slade was right about her.

“I imagine I found him the same way you find your pupils, Headmistress. Now can we start or are you more interested in Renegade than why I called this meeting?” Slade asked coolly.

Her soldiers tensed at Slade’s tone but she shook her head at them. They stepped back as she gave him a coy smile. “I do enjoy our talks, Slade.”

“As do I, Headmistress.” Slade turned to Professor Chang, who had been smart enough to stay quiet while the rest of them talked. “The Headmistress has already given me the latest update on her plans for the city and Madame Rouge is really only here for observation purposes as the Brotherhood has kindly agreed to leave Jump City in my hands. Without any interference.”

“So long as you hold up your end of the bargain,” Madame Rouge interrupted, her dark lips curling. Terra decided she was more than fine running comms from the lair instead of being there. Between the way the Headmistress was still eyeing Robin and Madame Rouge was all but threatening Slade, Terra knew she would have been way out of her depth.

“Naturally,” Slade drawled before turning back to Professor Chang, partially exposing his back to Madame Rouge. Although Terra doubted anyone in the room noticed, she could tell from Robin’s mask that he was watching Madame Rouge, protecting Slade’s back like a loyal apprentice. She didn’t know how he could stand it. Slade had taken everything from him, and yet no matter how much they screamed and fought, she knew that Robin would go back to him every time. As long as Slade had the trigger, Robin would always go back to him.

“—and if you are unable to meet the quotas we agreed upon months ago, then perhaps you should not be the one in charge of such a large operation. Not when there might be others who are more...qualified,” Slade said, Terra having been too distracted to catch the first half of what he said to the professor.

Professor Chang’s already hideous face morphed into a nightmare, his brows furrowed and his mouth twisted into a snarl as he shot to his feet. _“You dare?”_ Chang bellowed, his second readying his weapon behind him. “I’ve been in this city for twenty years, far longer than you have, you intruder! I built my empire from the dregs of society until I controlled more of this city’s underworld than anyone else. And you, you showed up here a year ago and clawed your way to the top so fast that not even the H.I.V.E. dared stand against you. But I’m not some thug you hired that you can push around! I—”

Slade tapped the table once.

Robin darted forward, the Headmistress and Madame Rouge’s eyes widening as the short, skinny boy knocked out Professor Chang’s accomplice with one precise blow to the head. As his second was still falling to the floor, Robin grabbed the front of Chang’s suit, slammed him onto the table and pointed his wrist-mounted gun right at his eye.

Chang’s blubbering was the only sound filling the suddenly very tense room.

“If you ever talk to me like that again, you won’t live to see the next sunrise,” Slade said softly, folding his hands on the table only inches from where Robin had pinned Chang to. “Understand?”

“Yes, yes. Please, just let me go. Let me go and I swear I’ll double the quota,” Chang bawled, tears rolling down his face. “Please, I swear it.”

It was only now that the silence was broken that Terra realized she had half risen out of her chair as she watched the screens, barely daring to breath. She’d seen Robin in action, of course, but never like this. Always against Slade or the Titans, who he tried to fight as little as possible and always focused on getting away from. This...this was different. One tap from Slade and he had a man pinned and begging for his life in _seconds_.

The Headmistress stared at Robin in fascination as Madame Rouge gave Slade an appraising look. He ignored both of them and continued to sit there calmly as his apprentice held his position, Robin’s face utterly devoid of any emotion.

Slade tilted his head. “Renegade.”

As fast as he’d gotten there, he left. He retook his position behind Slade’s chair as if nothing had happened, all of them ignoring Chang as he clambered off the table, wheezing and crying. Terra could picture the smug expression she knew Slade had beneath his mask.

“Magnificent,” the Headmistress breathed, eyes aglow as she watched Robin.

“Careful, Headmistress. He’s not for sale,” Slade drawled.

“Are you sure, Slade? Is there truly no way I could persuade you?”

“Ask anything else of me, my dear, but this one’s mine.” Terra wished that Robin could see the front of Slade so she could get a better gauge of his body language. Even so, the possessiveness in his voice was undeniable.

She sighed. “Well, I think you’re being awfully selfish keeping such an asset to yourself, but for the sake of our friendship, I’ll leave well enough alone.”

Slade tipped his head. “My thanks.”

“Vell, now that that is taken care of, it is time for me to go. There is much I need to tell my associates,” Madame Rouge said, standing up.

That seemed to be the signal the rest of them were waiting for as Slade and the Headmistress also stood up. Robin hung back as the three of them started saying their goodbyes and going over their next steps as Professor Chang woke up his second.

Terra collapsed into her chair, her mind racing with everything she’d seen and heard. It was so easy to forget the kind of work Robin did for Slade when she mostly saw him flipping on his gymnastics equipment or watching news in the penthouse. He really wasn’t that involved with her training and it was rare that she witnessed him fight anything other than training bots. Maybe that was why everything about tonight had shook her to her core. The way Robin had known exactly what to do when all Slade had done was tap the table once...it was something she would never forget.


	6. Chapter 6

Wally shifted uneasily, resisting the urge to zoom around and inspect every inch of the cell again. If Cyborg and Batman had declared the cell strong enough to hold Superman himself, Wally doubted he’d find any flaws, but he couldn’t help his nerves. Robin had been in the business longer than half the Justice League and had been trained by the world’s greatest detective and now its greatest assassin. He was _smart_. Smarter than everyone here except Batman.

Raven and Beast Boy had left two hours ago to plant a sophisticated weapon in a shell company of Wayne Enterprises and leak rumors of it to a contact of Bruce’s in Jump City. Within a day or two, news of it would reach Slade and, if everything went according to plan, he would send Robin after it. Once Robin was out in the open, the plan would be set in motion.

Cyborg was plugging into the Titans’ mainframe upstairs, shoring up their defenses for when Slade came chasing after his apprentice, leaving Starfire, Batman, and Kid Flash inside the cell. The three people who cared about Robin the most could do the least at the moment. _Irony at its finest_ , Wally thought.

“Had you thought of what you’re going to do once you trap Robin in here?” Bruce asked, poking at the control pad to the cell again.

Wally glanced at Starfire. The alien girl’s green eyes reflected the same question. _What were they going to do?_

“Um...talk to him?” Wally said hesitantly, rubbing the back of his head and suppressing a wince.

Batman looked at him flatly, his mouth a tight line. “You didn’t plan that far ahead, did you?”

Wally pointed at him accusingly. “You know, if anyone had bothered to tell me what happened to my best friend three months ago when it all started, maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation. Or, you know, if you didn’t try to take away Robin’s suit right after he’d been _shot_ —”

Batman whirled around, his cape flying around him, and fixed Wally with a glare so fierce that the speedster actually took a step back. This wasn’t his best friend’s dad or even Batman, leader of the Justice League; this was the Dark Knight of Gotham and Wally had pushed him to the breaking point.

“If you say one more word, I’ll disable this cell right now and send you back to Keystone,” Batman growled, his fists clenched. “Understand?”

Wally couldn’t speak even if he tried. He settled for a minute nod.

Batman glared at him for a few more seconds before sweeping out of the room. Wally didn’t relax until the door shut behind him.

“That went well,” Wally said sarcastically, kicking the cell wall.

Starfire rubbed her arms as if she were cold. “I hate to think of what it was like for Robin living with that man.”

“The Bat wasn’t always like this. He’s been a lot worse ever since Robin left him.”

“Still, it does not seem like the Batman cares for Robin at all most of the time.”

Wally shook his head. “It’s not that he doesn’t care about Robin. He cares too much. He wants to protect Robin more than anything else, even at the cost of their relationship.”

Starfire frowned. “Why can it not be both? Robin’s safety and their relationship?”

And wasn’t that the million dollar question. The Titans wanted their leader and friend back. Bruce wanted his son back, but not his partner. Wally wanted his friend back too, but he knew Robin too well to think that any of them would get their wishes even if they freed him. Robin was a runner. The second his wings weren’t pinned, he’d fly to freedom, not into anyone’s gilded cage. This wasn’t about getting Robin back; it was about saving him at their own expense.

“Come on. We need to meet with the others and decide what to do when we have Robin,” Wally said, heading towards the door.

If Starfire minded that he’d ignored her question, she didn’t show it. The girl jumped down from her perch on a crate and walked out of the room behind him.

“Do you think this will work?”

Wally sighed. “I don’t know, Star. But it’s the best plan we have.”

…

“Again.”

Robin panted, wiping sweat off his brow. “Same course?”

“The higher route this time,” Slade said, leaning back in his seat in front of the monitors.

He nodded and straightened up. He could hear the sounds of rocks breaking and reforming as Terra trained at the other side of the underground lair. Robin rarely trained down there except to use the gymnastics equipment in the other room, and Robin was incredibly grateful that Slade usually trained him elsewhere. The lair was far too reminiscent of the Batcave for his liking, but Slade had wanted to watch both of them train at the same time.

Robin sucked in a deep breath before climbing up the metal rigging, gears ticking away below him. The training drones flew at him on Slade’s command, but a double flip placed him behind a reinforced panel and protected him from their beams. Robin’s heartbeat stayed steady, his attention firmly fixed in that moment as he swung out from behind the panel and dropped down onto a knee, his arm already raised.

_Bang. Bang. Bang._ Three shots from his wrist mounted gun. Three drones crashed to the floor.

Robin didn’t pause for a second; he kept climbing, flipping, and leaping as the swarm of drones opened fire. A quick shot from his grappling hook and he flew past the drones and enormous gears, firing at them as he went. Five more fell to the floor, Terra yelping as one nearly clipped her arm. Two more to go.

The red lights on the drones flickered to an orange color, signaling that Slade had taken over manual control. Robin allowed himself a small grimace before jumping onto a gear and riding it to the next platform.

A blast hit his armored shoulder, ruining his retaliation shot. Robin dove down a level and backflipped away from the opening as the two drones fired down. Robin braced his arm as he took a shot. Miss.

“Incoming transmission,” the computer reported in a false woman’s voice.

Terra set down the rocks she’d been levitating and left the room without prompting. She knew Slade wanted to keep her a secret for as long as possible.

Slade didn’t want to keep Robin a secret.

The former Boy Wonder flipped down, rolling as he hit the ground. Slade waited until Robin stood behind him on his right side before accepting the transmission.

“Deathstroke, have you heard about the incendiary explosives at Viacorp?” the client, a man Robin knew worked closely with the H.I.V.E. Academy, asked eagerly.

“Viacorp is a pharmaceutical company. They only started dabbling in weaponry in the last two years, so I find it hard to believe that they’ve made anything worth my while in that time,” Slade said, narrowing his eye. “Unless you’re hiring and not passing along a tip.”

“Hiring,” the client confirmed. “The Headmistress has been watching the success of your apprentice closely. Thieves and mercenaries who are willing to fight the Titans are rare commodities these days.”

“Indeed they are. Send all the information you have on the explosives and Viacorp. I’ll call the Headmistress myself to settle payment. Until later.”

Slade ended the call and turned to Robin, pulling off his mask as he did so. “Are you up for a job tonight?”

“I always am,” Robin said, ignoring the dread cramping his stomach.

“Good. You can study the file while I make the call.”

Robin hesitated. “You don’t want me here?”

Slade waved his hand dismissively. “This isn’t a slight. The Headmistress has expressed too much interest in you for my liking. I’d rather keep you out of sight.”

_What is it about me that attracts villains?_ Robin thought sourly as he headed to his own workstation in an annex to the main room.

The file was simple and to the point. Viacorp had discreetly been expanding their weaponry division and hired a bunch of chemists and engineers in recent months. The results: incendiary bombs that were deadly enough to interest the H.I.V.E. Viacorp had beefed up their security in the last week since the Jump City branch had begun storing the finished products, but not enough to worry him.

Robin hacked into the Viacorp Tower with ease, planting a virus in their system that would activate at 2 a.m., the time he planned to sneak in. It would take care of the cameras, alarms, and sensors. As for the guards, there were too many to distract with a diversion, so knockout gas and his fists would have to do.

As for how he planned to get away before the Titans could show up, the client had helpfully outlined three escape routes. One that would put him in a getaway car on the highway, another that would require trekking through a mile or two of coastal redwood forests, and one that involved the sewers. All three were unappealing, but there was a clear winner. With Kid Flash and three fliers on the team, escaping aboveground wasn’t a viable option. The Titans had barely had any training about how to fight in close quarters, though. Even if they did catch up to him, they were more likely to bring down the tunnel on top of themselves than pin him down.

“Robin?”

“Come in, Terra,” he said, pulling up the floor plan.

The second door that connected to the hallway swung open. Terra stepped inside timidly, checking to see if Slade was in the room before relaxing. Robin didn’t look up at her. He didn’t want to see the metal and bandaged armor Slade had gifted her anymore than he wanted to see his own black and orange costume.

“Is he sending you out?”

“Yeah. We just got hired by the H.I.V.E. Academy. Op doesn’t start till two so I won’t need to leave until one. Well after your bedtime,” he added with a small grin to reassure her. Terra was always a nervous wreck before he went on a mission. Reasonably so as she’d been introduced to him when Slade’s butler, Wintergreen, had been checking him for a concussion after Raven had slammed him into a brick wall.

Terra bit her lip. “Are you going alone?”

“Of course. Having Slade’s bots thumping behind me would bring the police and Titans crashing down on me in seconds. They’re not very quiet.”

“Why doesn’t he go with you?”

Robin froze, his hands hovering over the keyboard. “What?”

“Slade. Why doesn’t he help you? I mean, he used to have to do this himself, right?” Terra stammered, shifting from foot to foot.

“Terra, Slade rarely steals himself. He used to hire the H.I.V.E. Academy trainees or send his bots, but now that I’m here, he sends me. That’s just how he works,” Robin said, forcing himself to zoom in on the floor plans as if the conversation wasn’t making his skin crawl. The thought of Slade working beside him like Batman used to was enough to make him shiver.

“I know, but isn’t it dangerous? Shouldn’t you have somebody watching your back?” Terra persisted.

“I prefer to work alone, actually. Only have to worry about myself that way. Where’s this coming from?”

“Kid Flash hasn’t left Jump. It’s five to one now.”

_Kid Flash was going to complicate things_ , Robin admitted to himself. The Titans had a five minute response time for all of Jump. Wally could be anywhere in seconds. If Robin triggered any alarms, he’d _have_ to fight Wally. There was no way he’d be able to get away in time to avoid it.

“Don’t worry about Kid Flash. I’ve known how to take him down for years.” The words cut his throat like glass, but he didn’t let it show. “You should go back to the penthouse. Slade and the Headmistress could end up talking for hours and I’ve got to study this file and prepare. I’ll be there for dinner, though. Okay?”

It wasn’t. He hadn’t reassured Terra at all. He could see it in her drooped shoulders and the downturn of her lips.

“Okay. I’ll see you later,” she said, giving him a small wave before leaving, the door falling shut with an ominous thud behind her.

Robin groaned. Tonight was going to be a long one.

…

The mission went exactly as he expected it to. At two in the morning, his virus tore through Viacorp’s cyber security and allowed Robin to slip inside unnoticed. Thirteen minutes and a ventilation shaft later, Robin reached the antechamber to the vault. Two minutes later, he hacked into the vault itself (which was annoyingly part of a different system than the one he’d infected) and started stuffing the seemingly innocuous devices into his bandolier. And since Slade trusted his abilities and loyalty now, Robin didn’t even have to listen to his instructions and critiques as he worked. Overall, it was almost enough to put him in a good mood.

That feeling was ruined the second he stepped out of the vault, red alarms and sirens already blaring. Viacorp was officially on lockdown.

Robin cursed and then sprinted back down the hall he came from. Where had he messed up? Slade would have signaled him if the virus hadn’t worked, so that meant someone else in the building must have spotted the unconscious security guards and sounded the alarm. Except that didn’t make any sense either. Robin would have noticed if anyone got close enough to see the guards. Was there another layer of security that the H.I.V.E. and Slade hadn’t noticed?

Every window in Viacorp was made of bulletproof glass, which meant Robin had to exit through a physical door. All the employees would rush down to the first floor and the security guards would head that way to protect them, leaving the roof exit undefended. Robin changed course and charged up the stairs, skipping two at a time.

Robin barreled through the final door, breathing in the cool night air, and—

“Hey, Rob,” Kid Flash said cheerfully, grinning from ear to ear.

Wally. Wally was here, standing only a few feet away and at least three inches taller than he had been when they last saw each other. His hair was as red as ever and a few freckles dotted the part of his face that the mask didn’t cover. His best friend had come to save him.

_No_ , Robin thought, forcing himself to rest his hand on the shaft of his expandable bo staff. _Kid Flash is here to stop a thief. This isn’t your friend. Tonight, he’s your enemy._

“What, no hug for your best friend?” Wally teased, though his stillness betrayed his nerves.

Robin couldn’t afford to waste anymore time, even though he longed to hear his friend’s voice. He couldn’t. Every second he spent with Kid Flash, he allowed the Titans to get closer and closer. He needed to get far away by the time they arrived.

Slowly, Robin reached down to his utility belt. He watched as Wally’s cheerful expression crumbled as Robin threw down a smoke pellet. A gust of wind and a blur of yellow revealed Wally clutching the pellet, only a foot away from him now.

Wally frowned. “You didn’t actually think that would work, did you?”

_Beep. Beep. Beep._ Wally had just enough time to widen his eyes before the throwing stars Robin had thrown while Wally was busy catching the pellet blew up the part of the roof he was standing on. Robin made a mad dash to the side of the roof while Kid was stunned, pulling out his grappling hook as he ran. He couldn’t pull off the same diversion again, but once he was in the air, Kid wouldn’t be able to reach him. _Just a few more feet,_ Robin thought, taking aim. _Three, two, one, fire._

The line shot through the air in a clean arc, heading towards the tree he’d aimed it at, but just before it could snag, a brilliant burst of green cut through it, washing the forest in emerald light.

Starfire.

Robin barely had time to drop the gun and step back before they arrived. A sharp cry pierced the sky as a green falcon landed on the roof, shifting back into a boy as he landed. Raven appeared next, eyes glowing as she stepped out of the shadows as quietly as a wraith. Kid Flash skidded to a halt next to Beast Boy as the last two Titans made their entrance. Starfire leapt up from the ground, her fiery hair framing her head like a halo, Cyborg dangling from her arms. They landed hard enough to crack the roof.

Robin stilled as the Titans circled around him, each of them deadly serious. How were they _here_? They had a five minute response time at best, and Slade had made sure the lowlifes and criminals in Jump didn’t draw any attention to this side of town tonight so they couldn’t have been nearby. The only way they could have gotten here that fast was if—

“It was a set-up,” Robin whispered, horrified and impressed all at once.

_That_ certainly caught them all by surprise. After all, it was the first time they’d heard him speak since his first night as Slade’s apprentice.

“Yeah, it was. We came up with it all by ourselves, too. Had a little help with the execution, of course, but this was all pretty last minute, you know?” Kid Flash said conversationally, as if they were taking a walk through Wayne Manor’s gardens and not facing off on a rooftop, contraband literally wrapped around Robin’s body.

_This was bad._ Robin could fight all the Titans and win on a good night or at least slip away from them on a bad one, but they’d planned well. He was surrounded with no tools nearby that he could use to his advantage, his grappling hook was ruined, and there was no doubt dozens of policemen waiting on the ground. Even worse, if this was a set-up that they’d had help on, superheroes could be on the way or already waiting in the wings.

The irony that the first time he wasn’t forced to wear an earpiece was the only night he needed one didn’t escape him.

“I know you’re running the odds right now, Rob, but even you have to admit you can’t punch your way out of this one. Just come with us. This doesn’t have to end in a fight,” Kid Flash said, a crack of desperation slipping into his voice.

_Yes, it does._

Robin could barely keep track of what happened next. He struck first; of that much, he was sure. A few throwing stars thrown at Beast Boy distracted Kid Flash long enough for him to throw down a smoke pellet and EMP. After that, it was a blur of starbolts, punches, and sonic booms—blood, bruises, and broken hearts.

He was so lost in the fight that he completely missed Wally’s fist until it collided with his face. Robin’s body arched backwards, his feet lifting off the ground. He was out before he hit the ground.


	7. Chapter 7

Robin groaned, his head pounding so hard that he heard it in his ears. The ground was unforgivingly stiff and cold beneath him, and the awkward way his armor was bunched up from the way he was laying down didn’t help at all. Robin rolled over onto his back, eyes flickering open as a fresh wave of pain ran through his body, especially his jaw. Robin opened his mouth experimentally. His jaw ached something fierce, but it wasn’t broken. That was all that really mattered.

The pounding in his head subsided somewhat as his mask automatically adjusted to dim the bright light filtering through the lenses. Robin blinked, starting to notice the discrepancies now that he’d catalogued his injuries. The ceiling wasn’t plain white. He was still fully dressed, but on the floor, not on his bed. And was that little black smudge a camera?

Robin sprung to his feet and spun around, automatically aiming his gun as he faced the one wall he couldn’t see from his position on the floor. His reflection glared back at him, but past the clear wall of the cell, Robin could see the familiar door of a room in Titans Tower.

He was home.

Robin’s heart started hammering, matching the tempo of his head. How was he here? He’d been somewhere else, hadn’t he? _Viacorp_ , he remembered. He’d broken into Viacorp on Slade’s orders and stolen the devices, but when he reached for the pouches he’d stuffed them in, his hands hit the bottom. They were gone.

_Think, Robin,_ he scolded himself, ignoring the fuzzy feeling in his head that always followed up a knockout. A knockout...he’d gone to the roof to make his get away when the Titans jumped him. It got even murkier after that, but he was pretty sure Wally had struck the last blow. Robin didn’t have any way to tell the time, but he’d doubted that he’d been out for more than a minute or two. Wally would have just needed him down momentarily to run him to the Tower, not concussed. He must have taken the devices when he dropped Robin into the cell.

Robin absentmindedly started patting down his armor and gear to make sure they hadn’t taken anything else while scanning the unfamiliar cell. It was definitely new considering Robin didn’t remember it and he’d helped design the Tower. It really was nothing more than a reinforced box with five white walls and one clear one plopped into the center of an empty room, probably on the fifth floor judging by the length of the only wall he could see.

There wasn’t even any furniture in the cell, which was a rookie mistake. Now he knew the Titans didn’t intend to keep him in here. Either they were going to be stupidly trusting and let him out or they were going to hand him off into the League or Batman’s custody. Either way, he’d have a chance to escape, or at least cause enough commotion to get Slade’s attention.

Once Robin was sure they hadn’t taken any of his gear, he stared at the wall consideringly. Was there even a point in trying to blow it up? If they left his weapons with him, they must be pretty sure that he couldn’t get out. Besides, they were definitely watching him through the Tower’s cameras and would no doubt come running if he started lobbing explosives in the cell. Cyborg hated cleaning up burn marks.

But what to do? He couldn’t stay here. Assuming Slade hadn’t already checked Robin’s tracker or his mask’s video camera and wouldn’t for a few more minutes, he would still notice when Robin didn’t return at the designated time. Robin clenched his jaw. The Titans didn’t know about the nanobots, not yet, but if they didn’t let him out soon, they sure as hell were going to find out.

That settled it. He couldn’t wait for them or the League to come to him and he couldn’t bust out of the cell on his own. He was just going to have to pray that Slade didn’t check on him and that the Titans would believe him.

Robin faced the camera and shouted, “I don’t have time for this!”

The camera stared back at him blankly. Robin resisted the urge to scowl and settled for crossing his arms and tapping his foot impatiently.

A minute ticked by. Robin narrowed his eyes. What were they waiting for? Were they just not going to talk to him until they came to move him? Or were they waiting for someone to arrive? Robin could understand if they decided to let Batman or Superman speak to him first. It wasn’t like he’d given them any indication that he hadn’t actually joined Slade because he wanted to.

The door slid open. Robin whirled around, starting to aim his gun before remembering that a) he was safe and b) it wasn’t like his gun would do him any good with the clear wall still up. He straightened up self consciously as he saw the familiar outline of the Batsuit in the doorway.

Batman stepped into the room slowly, his steps as quiet as a falling feather. His cowl was up, hiding everything but his lips. Once, Robin could have read the slightest twist in them, but he’d grown too used to reading tone and a single, cold blue eye to remember what had once come as easy as breathing. As for everything else, Batman stood neutral. His hands were relaxed by his side, his feet shoulder width apart. His shoulders weren’t tensed and he hadn’t cocked his head to the side the way he did when he interviewed criminals and thugs.

Robin swallowed, a jagged feeling growing in his chest where his heart had once been. A year ago, Robin had hopped on his bike with a bandaged and bleeding shoulder and rode off into the night after screaming that Batman didn’t want a partner, just a caged bird he could admire in between his T-Rex and penny. When he’d left Gotham, he never could have imagined that the next time they saw each other, he really would be in a cage.

Any words Robin might have said escaped him, flying away as a suffocating silence filled the room. He could tell Batman felt the force of it too, judging by how his jaw clenched before he caught himself doing it and forced himself to relax. Batman opened his mouth before closing it tightly. Words had _always_ escaped him. Robin’s silence was new, the product of a year apart, of months living under a different man’s roof.

But Dick didn’t have a single moment more to waste.

Dick sucked in a deep breath, letting it build and build in his lungs, before exhaling, reaching out to rest a hand against the glass as he did. He hated the plain black of his glove, hated that he was standing in front of his partner in Slade’s colors, but he shoved those thoughts down viciously. He was running out of time. He smiled softly. “Hey, B.”

Bruce’s breath hitched. He wasn’t so rusty that he couldn’t tell that. “Robin. It’s...really good to see you.” His expression had started to soften, but he seemed to remember something. “We upgraded the Tower. Anything you have on you—cameras, microphones, speakers, trackers—won’t work. Slade can’t find you.”

_If only that was the problem_ , Dick thought bitterly, but he slumped against the glass in relief all the same. He wouldn’t have to fight his way out of here. Well, as long as they believed what he told them, he wouldn’t have to. He wasn’t in the clear yet.

“They didn’t hurt you too badly, did they?” Bruce asked, staring at Dick’s jaw. Wally’s punch must have started to bruise already.

His lips quirked to the side, but there was no humor to be found in it, just bitter irony. “I think I’m getting off light, all things considered,” he quipped. Dick tilted his head. “You know, I’m the second most wanted criminal in the city, but you don’t seem that worried.”

Bruce stepped closer, shortening the distance between them. “I found it very hard to believe that Slade turned you against your team and heroism in general overnight. That aside, you left a certain suitcase behind.”

Dick almost smiled. “Well, at least I don’t have to spend time convincing you.”

“No, you don’t. And now that you’re safe, we can end this right now. Tell me where Slade is and this will be over by morning,” Bruce promised.

Dick’s heart sank. He clenched his fist against the glass and lowered his gaze to Bruce’s chest. “I can’t,” he admitted.

“Do you not know where he is?”

“I do. I just can’t tell you.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

Dick sighed. “Won’t.”

Batman was frowning now, but he wasn’t so out of practice at reading his once partner’s body language that he thought he was upset. No, Batman was frowning at him the way he used to frown at one of the Riddler’s more clever traps while he ran through all the clues and evidence in his head, trying to come to the right conclusion. “Robin, talk to me,” Batman urged. “He can’t hear you.”

Dick ran a hand through his hair, messy up the already out of control locks. “I know, I know, but you’re the detective, B. You’re jumping to the end. Think about it for a second: if you know that I’m not with Slade because I want to be, you have to think about what he did to convince me.”

“I’ve been thinking about that for months, and I still don’t have the answer. Only you and Slade do.”

“You must have a guess by now. The Batman that I remember always had a guess.”

“My only thought is that he must be threatening to hurt someone or something if you don’t work for him.”

“Give the man a gold star,” Dick said dryly. “You want to ask me where Slade is again or do you get it?”

“You won’t tell me where he is because someone’s in danger,” he said, working through it out loud. Instead of growing discouraged, finally having confirmation seemed to invigorate Batman. “So tell me who’s in danger,” Batman urged. “Once they’re safe, we can go after Slade.”

“It’s not that simple. He’s watching them. If their behavior changes the day after you guys caught me, he’ll know I talked.”

“If I get to them fast enough—”

Dick shook his head, dropping his hand back to his side. “B, trust me. I can’t stay here without getting them killed and I can’t tell you who they are without tipping Slade off. I need to find a way to contact you some other time, when Slade won’t be watching me that closely.”

Never mind that Dick had no idea how he was going to contact them with Slade constantly tracking, recording, and monitoring him. Not to mention Terra was always following him through the penthouse whenever they didn’t have training. But once he did figure it out, he’d be ready. He would tell the Titans about the nanobots and give them the coordinates to all of Slade’s safehouses and then he would grab Terra and run once he was sure that they were safe.

Batman froze. “Robin...you’re acting like you’re going back to him.”

Dick swallowed. Bruce wasn’t going to take this well. “I am, B. I have to”

Bruce stared at him. “Kid Flash must have punched you harder than I thought.”

“I’m not concussed. I have to go back to him otherwise he’ll kill them. That’s how a hostage situation and extortion works.” Dick had meant to say it lightly, but it sure as hell didn’t come out that way.

“If you think that any of us are going to let you go back to him—” Bruce began heatedly.

“Let?” Dick asked, his voice deadly quiet, curling one of his hands into a fist.

Bruce scowled. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not trying to pick a fight with you. I just want you to be safe.”

Dick couldn’t help it: he laughed. Not the bright laugh that had chased criminals across Gotham’s skyline or the surprised ones the Titans had coaxed out of him. This laugh was jagged and hurt like a bullet to the shoulder, breathy and tight. Bruce raised his hands, instinctively looking to comfort him before remembering that there was still a clear wall between them.

“I wish you had said that a year ago, B,” Dick admitted. “But you didn’t, and now we’re here. So before you try to tell me what I’m going to do, let me make one thing clear: I’m not asking for your permission to do anything. I’m not going back to him because I want to. I’m doing it to save lives. Or is that no longer your mission?”

“Robin—”

Dick shook his head. “I wasn’t joking earlier. I really don’t have time for this. So what do I have to say to convince you to let me out of this cell? That he’s not dumb enough to try to train me to kill yet, and that he knows that hostages or not, if he does anything to the people I care about, I’ll turn on him? Is that enough?”

It may have been a year since they had last seen each other, but even in his rage, Dick caught the unmistakable hurt that flashed across Bruce’s face.

“I just don’t want to lose again,” Bruce whispered, his voice raw. “Dick, I can’t pretend to know what you’ve gone through these last months, but I’m here now. I want to help you.”

Dick blinked. It wasn’t like Bruce to slip up and call him by his real name. “B, the Titans don’t know my identity.”

He waved his hand dismissively. “They’re your team. If you trust them, then so do I. We have much bigger issues than hiding our names from allies.”

Dick grinned. “You’re getting soft in your old age.”

“Watch it, chum,” Bruce grumbled, but there was no heat. He grew somber. “What happens when you go back to him?”

Dick’s grin faded. “Things go back to the way they were. I stay with Slade and do what he says, if the Titans catch me, we fight. If we do anything out of the ordinary, he’ll get suspicious and he’s crazy enough to hurt the hostages on a hunch.”

“So I go back to Gotham, the Titans carry on, and you go back to that _killer_?” Bruce snarled.

Dick’s stomach knotted. He’d heard Bruce laugh and cry, he’d seen him roll his eyes and yell in anger, he knew what Bruce looked like when he was afraid and when he was nervous, but he’d never seen him in such obvious pain before. That night in the cave a year ago, after the Joker had shot him, Bruce had been all fire and fury, absolutely relentless in his onslaught. This version of Bruce reminded him more of a caged animal, scared and mad and desperate.

“Yes,” Dick said simply, fighting to keep his voice even. “When it’s safe, I’ll find a way to contact either you or the Titans, whatever is easier. In the meantime, you and the Titans have to keep being heroes. I don’t want you guys to get hung up on me.”

“You can be really dense sometimes. Agent A would kick me out of the house if I stopped looking for you.”

Dick’s breath hitched. “How is he?”

Bruce smiled. “He misses you, Dickie. He didn’t talk to me for two weeks after you left.”

Dick blinked rapidly as soon as he felt the tears welling in his eyes. “That sounds like him,” he said thickly.

Bruce clenched his jaw before looking up at a camera in the corner of the room. “Titans, open the cell.”

Dick took a step back as the clear wall slid to the side. Neither of them moved at first, and later neither of them could recall who made the first move, but all Dick knew was that one second he was standing in a cell and the next, he was cradled in Bruce’s arms and draped in the thick, warm folds of Batman’s cape so thoroughly that only the tufts of his hair would be visible from the outside. Dick clung to him, pressing his face into Bruce’s armored chest and hanging on as tightly as he could. He remembered when he’d been so small that his arms couldn’t even reach all the way around Bruce, and even though that wasn’t the case any longer, he was still short and skinny enough to feel like a child in his father’s arms.

“I’ve really missed you,” Bruce admitted, the words muffled as he spoke them to the crown of Dick’s head.

Dick held on tighter. “I’ve missed you too.”

That was the truest thing he’d said since long before Slade had even blackmailed him, but as much as Dick wanted to stay in Bruce’s arms forever, he couldn’t. If he waited much longer, Slade might decide to pull the trigger, and Dick didn’t think he’d stop at just hurting them this time.

Dick pulled back slightly, ignoring Bruce’s grumbled complaints. “Bruce, I have to leave soon, but I have to tell you something first.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not his only apprentice. He has another.”

Bruce’s gaze sharpened. “Another? Who?”

Dick shook his head. “I shouldn’t be mentioning them at all, but I need you to know just in case something goes wrong. I’m not going to leave them behind in Slade’s hands, so if I have a chance to come back to you and I don’t, it’s because I’m protecting them.”

“You really can’t tell me anything?”

Dick could hear the disappointment in Bruce’s voice, but it didn’t change anything. “Nothing. I’m sorry.”

“No, _I’m_ sorry. The League and I should have been able to sort this all out months ago. None of us realized that the underworld boss from Jump City was actually Deathstroke the Terminator. I swear I’ll keep hunting him until you’re safely out of his reach,” Bruce swore.

“Then promise me you’ll be careful. You’re number one on his hit list.”

Bruce’s lips quirked. “Good.”

They pulled fully away from each other this time, Bruce’s dark cape pooling around him like a shadow. Dick fiddled with his gauntlet as he tried to think of what he could possibly say to reassure Bruce but stopped when he realized that Bruce was all but glaring at the gun mounted on his wrist.

“I know you’ve been working with Batgirl more,” Dick said abruptly.

“I have,” Bruce said, eyeing him warily as if he would be upset that he’d finally stopped sidelining Barbara. Dick had been advocating to work with her more since she first came onto the scene.

“That’s good. You need a partner.”

“ _You’re_ my partner,” Bruce protested. “She’s an ally, one who I wish would stop endangering her life and go home.”

Dick almost smiled at the whiny note in Bruce’s voice. “You need someone to watch your back, B. You need a new Robin.”

Bruce sucked in a breath, his eyes wide. Dick himself was unperturbed, his blue eyes unfathomable as he met Bruce’s gaze steadily.

“I’m not replacing you.”

Dick shrugged. “Just think about it. Gotham’s been without a Robin for too long.”

Bruce’s incredulous expression showed just what he thought about Dick’s suggestion, but he didn’t say anything. Dick absentmindedly checked his utility belt, ignoring Bruce’s comical reaction entirely.

“You know you can call Kal if you need an out, right? He’ll hear you,” Bruce added.

Dick nodded. “I know. He’s my last resort.”

Bruce nodded, although he didn’t look reassured in the slightest. He opened his mouth, clearly about to say something, but nothing came out. Bruce grabbed Dick and wrapped him in a fierce hug. Dick’s eyebrows shot up, but as surprised as he was, he didn’t hesitate for a second to return the gesture.

“I love you, chum.”

“I love you too, dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! From this point going forward, pay close attention to what the characters call each other (Dick, Robin, or Renegade, for example). Chapter 7 marks a huge shift in the story, so I hope you liked it, and I'll see you guys again next week. Remember to leave comments; constructive criticism and fan theories alike are always welcome!


	8. Chapter 8

“ _Incoming!_ ” Beast Boy shouted as another missile hurtled towards the docks.

“I got it,” Cyborg said, planting his feet and aiming his sonic cannon at it.

Starfire continued chasing the grunts towards Raven, satisfied that with Beast Boy on lookout and Cyborg well away from any assailants, they weren’t needed to help the boys with the missiles. Her starbolts arced through the night air, narrowly missing the grunts. She was too impatient to be more careful.

The League had tipped off the Titans that a terrorist organization was planning on establishing a foothold in Jump City, but they hadn’t known that it was always a weapons transfer. They had the option, as always, to call for backup, but they didn’t need it. Jump had been deadly quiet for over a month. The Titans were itching for a fight.

“Raven, are you ready?” Starfire called out, chasing the last of the grunts to a dead end where Raven had already pinned down the others.

“Whenever you are, Star.”

Starfire pulled up sharply, rocketing up into the sky as Raven’s black magic trapped them in a shipping container. Beast Boy soared next to her, his green feathers shining as brightly as her starbolts in the sunlight. He loosed a piercing cry, coaxing a small smile out of her. Both of them had needed this. They were the ones who got stir crazy after a few days in the Tower, and that had been occurring more and more often.

The two of them flew back down to where Raven and Cyborg were waiting, a dozen cop cars, ambulances, and fire trucks pulling up near the waterfront and even more speeding down the highway to get to them.

“Good job, team,” Cyborg said, high fiving Beast Boy when he shifted back into his human form. “Aside from the usual property damage, that was a solid mission. No civilian injuries and we caught all of them.”

“I like a pep talk as much as the next guy, but shouldn’t we be interrogating the bad guys?” Beast Boy asked.

Cyborg shook his head. “The FBI are taking point on these guys. Any relevant information they find will be sent to us and the League.”

“Are they going to ask if they have a connection to Slade?” Raven asked, tugging off her hood. Starfire wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light or not, but Raven seemed paler than usual.

“They ask everyone that, Rae. The answer hasn’t been yes in over a month. Besides, Slade’s a mercenary, not a terrorist. There’s not a big enough profit in this group for him to care.”

Even if what he said was no surprise, all of the Titans’ shoulders slumped.

“Back to the Tower, then?” Starfire asked.

“Back to the Tower,” he agreed.

…

Even in a Tower designed by the greatest minds on the planet, the Titans weren’t nearly as safe as they thought they were.

Late at night, long after the inhabitants had fallen asleep, a shadow appeared. The shadow danced around the sensors, their footsteps silent and quick, the cameras unable to catch more than a leg or arm here and there. Not that anyone would see until Cyborg checked the feed when he was powered back on.

Entering the Tower was harder than getting onto the island, but not by much. The shadow slipped through the halls with familiarity, their steps sure and unfaltering. They moved with purpose towards their destination, and it wasn’t long before the security became lax, the Titans thinking the other measures were enough naively. It wasn’t long before they stopped, their eyes locked on a poster of the Flying Graysons.

They hadn’t come here for the poster. They only needed the briefcase, the one sitting on the bed as if it were waiting for them. But the poster...that was what caught their attention.

They knew they were supposed to keep moving. As easy as it had been to reach the bedroom, their mission required them to leave as quickly as they came. But that poster…

“Why did you stop?”

Their heartbeat spiked, the quiet of the night shattered by the harsh bark in their ear. Knowing that he could see their heartbeat displayed on some monitor didn’t help at all.

“I thought I saw something. Grabbing the briefcase now,” they said, their voice steady.

“Five minute countdown. Hurry up.”

They did. The shadow grabbed the briefcase and strapped it onto their back. Once it was secure, they scanned the room one last time, ignoring the Flying Graysons’ damning smiles, and fled into the night, not so much as a footprint to show they were ever there.

…

The drive back to the Tower could only be characterized as forced cheerfulness. The fight on the docks was a clear success and they couldn’t have asked for a nicer day, so why did they feel so down as they zoomed down the Pacifica Coast Highway listening to the latest pop songs? _Why couldn’t they just enjoy it?_ Starfire thought as she stared out the window. Of course, she knew the answer. Everything in their lives seemed to come back to Slade and Robin.

They should have been happy to know that Robin was technically being taken care of and had looked well when they last saw him. They should be happy now that they knew for sure that Robin was with Slade unwillingly and had Superman lined up as an escape route. Maybe they would be if Slade and Robin hadn’t seemingly dropped off the face of the Earth the second they let their former teammate leave the Tower, dressed in his black and orange armor.

Batman had left hardly an hour after Robin, his face unreadable. As soon as the Titans had learned Robin’s real name was Dick, Beast Boy and Cyborg had figured out the Dynamic Duo’s secret identities as billionaire Bruce Wayne and his ward, Dick Grayson, the royalty of the Gotham elite, so most of that hour was spent swearing that they would take those secrets to the grave. Kid Flash had already known, and Raven and Starfire hadn’t even heard of Wayne until they found out he was Batman, but Beast Boy and Cyborg had gone crazy when they figured it out. They both remembered watching the news when it was announced Wayne, a notorious playboy, would be taking in a child who had just watched his parents fall to their deaths.

Starfire didn’t care about knowing his real name. He would always be Robin to her, no matter what name he now chose to go by. But knowing that he came from a family of fliers, of performers and acrobats, made her happier than she could express. She had begun to fear that his childhood had been one of shadows and violence with the Batman. Now she knew that he’d had eight wondrously happy years with his parents before being adopted by Wayne. And even those years weren’t as bad as she’d feared. Kid Flash and the dozens of news clips and articles she’d perused confirmed that Wayne may not have been the most expressive guardian, but he loved his ward more than life itself. That was why when the Joker nearly succeeded in killing Robin, Batman tried to bench him. His mission wasn’t more important than Robin’s life.

The only thing Starfire couldn’t figure out was why Robin had never returned to Gotham, or even called home. He may have parted on bad terms with Wayne, but Robin loved him. Starfire couldn’t understand how her protective, possessive friend could just turn his back on his Gotham family. He had gone insane anytime the Titans were injured and he’d known them for far less time. The sad part was Starfire might never get the chance to ask him now that he was in the wind.

“You guys want to go out tonight? We haven’t had pizza in awhile,” Cyborg said, trying to stay upbeat.

“I’m not hungry,” Raven said, her hood still drawn low, a clear sign that she would spend the rest of the afternoon locked away in her room. None of them had the heart to ask if she was looking for Robin when she did it.

“Come on, Rae, don’t you want to go out and have some fun?” Beast Boy asked, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.

“Your definition of fun is very different than mine,” Raven shot back.

“Hey, now, don’t make me turn this car around,” Cyborg teased.

“That wasn’t even a fight,” Beast Boy objected. “Cy, you tell her why she should come.”

“It’s her choice. If she doesn’t want to come, she doesn’t have to. What about you, Star? Up for a night out?” he asked, peeking at her in the rear view mirror.

“Of course, friend. I would like a normal night,” she said, smiling a little.

Beast Boy crowed, happy to have wrangled in at least one of the girls. “Night out, baby! What do you guys want to do after pizza? Arcade, movie, dancing? Something else?”

Starfire’s smile grew. “Arcade. I wish to beat your high score on the ski ball.”

“As if you could.”

Raven seemed to huddle further into her cloak. Before Starfire could ask her if she was alright, they pulled into the garage.

“Home sweet home. BB, you up for some video games before dinner?” Cyborg asked as they climbed out.

“You know it! Wrestlemania 4 or Red Hot Racer?” Beast Boy asked before shifting into a cheetah, ready to race Cyborg to the controls

“Wrestlemania 4,” Cyborg said in a tone that indicated this should be obvious. “Race you.”

They both shot off, leaving the girls staring fondly after them.

“They’re idiots,” Raven said, her lips twitching as she tried not to smile.

“They are our idiots,” Starfire corrected. “It is good to see them so happy. We have all been too serious and this fight didn’t help.”

“It’s been...frustrating. We finally felt like we had a chance at getting Robin back only to find out that Slade has hostages and even the Batman’s out of ideas.”

“That is not all that is bothering you, is it?” Starfire asked.

Raven sighed. “I shouldn’t have let Batman keep me away from Robin. I might have been able to peek in Robin’s mind. Maybe I could have found out who the hostages are. I could have learned something helpful, something we could use.”

“These are the _what ifs_. Robin wouldn’t want you to think like that,” she said gently, touching Raven’s arm. The demoness didn’t shrug her off.

“All Robin did was think of what ifs. That’s what got him into this mess in the first place,” Raven countered.

“Then consider this: Robin is strong. You might not have been able to get into his head even if you tried.”

Raven shrugged. “Maybe. Either way, I should have tried.”

Starfire just wished they had thought of it at the time. Admittedly, they were all too fixated on finally seeing Robin to think clearly, but she understood why Raven felt guilty.

“Robin’s my best friend, Star. I didn’t even know what it was like to have friends until I met him. I can’t help but feel like this is my fault. I mean, after the Red X stuff, I should have known there was something wrong. I should have paid better attention and kept him from taking on Cinderblock by himself,” Raven said, her voice uncharacteristically small.

“I understand, Raven, but you can’t blame yourself. Robin made some poor choices, but this is Slade’s fault. No one else’s,” she said firmly.

Raven sighed. “I know you’re right, but it’s hard not to feel guilty.”

“True, but you’re going to keep feeling that way if you keep isolating yourself from us. Won’t you consider joining us tonight?”

“It seems selfish to go out when Robin’s a prisoner.”

That Starfire agreed with. “He would not want us to be miserable.”

Another sigh, this one a little more like her usual “fine, I’ll join you morons” sigh. “Okay, but I get to choose the toppings,” Raven said.

Starfire clapped happily, her feet hovering above the ground for a beat. “Excellent. I will go tell our friends.”

Raven smiled softly as the alien hurried away. There was no one left to hear her quiet, painful laugh.

“Never change, Star. Never change.”

…

_Boom. Boom. Boom._

_BOOM._

Starfire jolted awake, her chandelier swaying ominously above her bed, her framed photos rattling against the walls and adding to the clamor. The emergency lights and siren flickered on, casting her bedroom in bloody light.

_Boom_.

Starfire flew to her closet and tugged on the first thing she grabbed, her hangers striking up a melody as they slid across the bar. She retrieved her Titans communicator from her nightstand and hurried out of the room.

“All Titans, this is Cyborg,” the speakers announced, cutting off the siren though the emergency lights continued to flash. “There’s a major fight going on in the middle of downtown, more in the park than near any buildings or houses, but major debris and destruction. Plus, there’s a lot of night owls still in that area. The computer hasn’t been able to ID any of the players and police are just trying to keep citizens away. You three fly ahead. I’ll follow in the T-car.”

Starfire changed course, flying to the elevator to take her up to the roof. Through the window, she spotted Raven’s winged shadow as she soared into Jump City. The other elevator was running by the time Starfire swooped into hers which meant one of the boys was on the move.

Not even a minute later, she was soaring over the cold waves towards the sparkling lights of the city, mist dissipating as she barreled through the coastal fog, starbolts burning in her hands. Normally, this would be the highlight of her night, but it wasn’t the same without the low thrum of Robin’s motorcycle echoing from the underwater tunnel.

_Boom boom_.

More lights flickered on in the city as the crashing and rumbling continued. Starfire grimaced and sped up, the fog appearing to turn green as it reflected her starbolts. Every boom was a potential casualty. Every boom was a chance for Raven to be hurt fighting by herself. Every boom meant that she was too late.

People cheered as she flew past, their heads peeping out of windows and doorways, still dressed in pajamas and robes. If she weren’t about to walk into a fight blind, she might have taken the time to wave at them. Instead, she sped up again, windows rattling in their frames as she hurtled by.

A boulder soared through the air, arching high above the city, highlighted by the glow of a streetlight. Starfire blasted it without a second thought. Better dozens of small rocks raining down than one massive rock. She saw another boulder bowl down a tree in the park and set course in that direction.

_Boom_.

Starfire touched down on the grass, scanning the park intently. Glass littered pathways beneath shattered lampposts and there were huge chunks of the ground that looked like they had been clawed out by a giant hand. The assailants had certainly been there a second ago, but it looked like their fight had moved on.

“Titans, they’ve left the park! They’re on South Street, but the police are still trying to get civilians to safety,” Cyborg’s voice came crackling through the communicator. “I’m still two minutes out.”

Starfire veered left, two divots left in the already thrashed ground from where she kicked off. South Street was only one block away from the park, but it was one of the busiest streets in the city with event halls, clubs, and bars lining it. Even at this late hour, it could still be packed if a concert ran late or the train hadn’t come yet, leaving hundreds, if not thousands, packed in the station.

_Boom_.

“Watch out!” Raven yelled as her dark magic enveloped an airborne boulder, freezing it feet above Starfire’s head.

Starfire dove under it, starbolts hot in her hands as she finally arrived at the fight. She could see the shaky barricade the police had set up as they all but shoved civilians to safety. A few fires were burning up and down the block and boulders had cracked the pavement and lodged themselves into the sides of buildings. Most of the light came from broken neon signs as boulders had smashed nearly all the streetlights. It was the assailants, however, that brought her up short.

One was a girl she didn’t recognize, but her age was honestly more startling than the way she appeared to be levitating boulders. She couldn’t have been any older than Beast Boy. Aside from the H.I.V.E. students, Jump City rarely had juvenile criminals. The Titans were usually enough of a deterrent to persuade them to stand down without a fight.

_Boom_. The girl launched one of her boulders, a lithe figure nimbly sliding under it and whirling away before Starfire could see who they were. Raven was busy erecting a wall to protect the crowds, but Starfire didn’t know what to do. Was the girl a threat or was she defending herself? Was the other person working with or against her? She couldn’t risk attacking the wrong person, but she had a responsibility to end the fight as quickly as possible.

“Starfire, duck!” the unknown girl shouted, her blue eyes wide and scared.

Starfire dropped, plummeting down on instinct, but she wasn’t fast enough. Something slammed into her back, hot and burning, and knocking her face-first to the ground. She grimaced as rocks and debris dug into her skin, her back radiating waves of pain. Still, she couldn’t afford to lie there. Not when Beast Boy and Cyborg hadn’t arrived yet. Not when the fight was still raging above her.

She climbed to her feet, leaning heavily on a car nearby to stand. She needed to see what, or rather _who_ , hit her. Luckily, they didn’t feel like hiding.

“Hey, Star,” Robin said, smiling irreverently as he aimed a gun at her.

His black and orange uniform was coated in dirt and dust, but there were no rips or burns in it. His dark hair stuck to his forehead with sweat, its normal spikes even wilder from the fight. Where he had once had a wrist-mounted gun, he now had two swords crossed on his back and a gun holster on his hip. His smile only grew as she stared, his hand unwavering. When she didn’t— _couldn’t_ —move, he drew closer, his gait unhurried.

She couldn’t breathe. There wasn’t enough air in the whole world, in the whole universe. This couldn’t be happening. Robin, _her_ Robin wouldn’t shoot her in the back.

“Sorry about the mess. Her powers are a bit destructive,” Robin said nonchalantly, as if they had bumped into each other in the Tower’s kitchen and he hadn’t just shot her.

“Robin, I do not know why you and the girl are fighting, but I cannot allow you to endanger this city. Please stand down,” Starfire begged, summoning her starbolts.

“ _I’m_ endangering the city? She’s the one launching boulders. I’m trying to stop her,” Robin pointed out, arching his eyebrows under his mask.

“I doubt out of altruism when you’re wearing Slade’s colors,” Raven growled, flying down to land on the car Starfire was leaning against, dark magic swirling around her. “Stand down, Robin. Cyborg and Beast Boy have already taken the girl to safety.”

Robin laughed, the sound too loud, too bright to belong to the boy she knew. “You think I can't take down the two of you because I’m not wearing the Red X suit?”

“I know you can take us down. I just know you won’t. I’m an empath, Robin. Or did you forget?” Raven jabbed, her eyes glowing with otherworldly light.

Robin cocked his head, the block abnormally quiet now that the girl was no longer launching rocks and the police had evacuated everyone. Starfire didn’t dare move, not while his gun was still trained on her, but Robin might as well have been a statue. Recalculating his odds, no doubt. Robin had always fought like he was playing chess, carefully selecting his every move. Slade was the only one who had managed to make him lose sight of the board.

Faster than either girl could move, Robin dropped a smoke bomb, filling their area with dark, ashy vapor. Raven extended a shield over Starfire, knowing that she couldn’t summon her starbolts without giving away their location. Starfire stood up fully, grimacing as her back spasmed with pain. Robin hadn’t shot her with a metal bullet, but it stung just as badly as if he had.

“I didn’t forget anything, Rae.” The two of them spun around, trying to pinpoint where his voice was coming from, but the smoke was impenetrable. “But you did.”

_Beep. Beep. Beep beep beep—_

_BOOM._

The car exploded in a red flower of fire and metal, tossing Raven and Starfire across the street. Raven caught herself before she hit the ground with a cushion of magic, but Starfire was too disorientated by the blast to fly. She slammed into a Macy’s sign, sparks skittering across her skin as metal and glass dug into her body before she fell onto the sidewalk like a limp rag doll, black spots blurring her vision.

“No,” Raven whispered, floating down and forming another shield around them. Starfire gasped for breath as her friend started brushing rubble off her, sounding close to tears as she said, “I’m so sorry, Starfire. I should have caught you.”

Starfire’s vision flickered, pain lancing through her body. Abruptly, Raven pulled away and stood up, crouching protectively over her.

“You forgot, Rae. You forgot that I’m not on your side. That no matter what your powers say, I finish my missions,” Robin said, strolling around the bubble of magic, his hands tucked in his pockets. Starfire burned with resentment. Robin didn’t even view them as a threat.

“You made a mistake, Robin. The Titans and the League won’t forgive this,” Raven promised darkly. Rocks clattered and rolled, starting to levitate around them. Raven’s eyes glowed red, a hint of fangs starting to show.

“I think both will be a little too busy to come after me. Unless you all want to leave Starfire and the Arrows behind.”

“The arrows?”

Robin laughed. “You haven’t heard?”

“I think it’s time for you to go running back to your master, Robin,” she said coolly, tendrils of dark magic stretching out from the bottom of her cloak. Raven hardly looked human anymore.

He shrugged. “If you say so.”

He tossed down another smoke bomb right as Starfire finally passed out, Raven’s distressed voice echoing in her dreams.


	9. Chapter 9

Light. Light and voices. Light and voices and blankets. Light and voices and blankets and pain.

That was what woke her up. Slowly, she sat up, soft blankets sliding against her bruised skin. Her curtains were open, her communicator and gauntlets were resting on her nightstand, and her boots were lined up in the closet, exactly how she liked her room to look when she woke up. Her heart swelled. Even in the middle of a crisis, her friends took care of the little things.

The voices grew softer, signaling that they were moving to a different area of the Tower. She knew she should take it easy, that she had taken a beating last night, one hard enough to bruise her Tamaranean skin no less, but she was never the kind to sit idly by while there was work to be done.

Starfire pulled on a clean outfit and set off, ignoring how stiff her joints felt. She knew they would be in the living room. What kind of condition they were in, Starfire could only guess considering she had no idea what went down after she blacked out.

After a lonely ride up the elevator, the doors slid open, revealing a sorry scene. Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy, and Kid Flash sat in front of the screen, watching the news listlessly with cups of coffee in their hands. As the doors slid shut behind her, they turned around.

“Morning, Star. You feeling okay?” Cyborg asked.

“I am. And now I would like to know what happened last night,” she said, taking a seat next to Kid Flash.

Cyborg nodded. “I thought you would. You all ready for the full mission debrief?” They all nodded in agreement. “Okay. Let’s start from the beginning.”

Cyborg hooked up his arm to the screen. A picture of the girl from last night popped up. It wasn’t a mugshot, but you’d never be able to tell that from her face. “This is Terra Mark. She’s a teen runaway, though no one seems to know from where. All we do know is that several police departments, including Jump’s, have gotten calls saying they saw a blonde-haired girl with glowing yellow hands and eyes controlling rock. Those calls all stopped abruptly about two months ago.

“According to her interview with the police last night, Renegade has been trying to recruit her for weeks. He’d show up wherever she was hiding out, pay for her meals and food, and teach her safe places to stay for a few nights. Terra said she was just about to finally go with him when she connected the dots and figured out the nice boy she was talking to was the most notorious thief in Jump City. She ran. Renegade pursued, and that was when the fight broke out last night, starting in the park and then moving into the city.”

“Why are you calling him Renegade?” Starfire burst out, her heart hammering. “You have never called him that before. Not like this.”

Cyborg sighed and ran a hand down his face. There was something exhausted in his eye, a bone-deep weariness that sleep could never erase. Starfire swallowed. Robin had that same look on his face shortly before they lost him. “Last night changed everything, Star. He actively tried to recruit a fourteen-year-old girl to work as another one of Slade’s apprentices and then viciously attacked both you and Raven when you showed up. We can’t afford to keep thinking of him as our Robin.”

“He had to do it. Slade has hostages,” Starfire said, her voice cracking. None of them would meet her eyes. Not even Kid Flash.

“There’s more, Star,” Beast Boy said quietly, clicking the remote.

_Deathstroke and Renegade in Star City! Green Arrow and Speedy beaten and taken away by the Justice League_ read the headline and sub headline projected on the screen. Underneath it, there was a picture of the two heroes knocked unconscious on the ground, their bows snapped and blood discoloring their uniforms. Starfire couldn’t help but gasp.

“Two hours before Renegade went after Terra, the League got an alert from Green Arrow and Speedy’s suits that they had been badly injured,” Kid Flash said quietly, his elbows braced on his knees as he stared at the screen blankly, his mind clearly reliving what had actually happened. “Batman sent Flash and I to check it out because we could get there the fastest. Speedy woke up a little when we arrived, just long enough to confirm that it was Robin— _Renegade_ —who did this to him. Superman showed up then and Flash and him took the Arrows to the Watchtower for medical treatment. I came here instead, just in time to carry you back here, Star.”

She shook her head. “No. No, Robin would never—”

“Starfire, he _did_. Whatever he told Batman a month ago no longer matters. He’s a threat and he needs to be stopped,” Raven said firmly. “And he’s not Robin anymore. He doesn’t deserve it.”

“You can’t mean that.”

“I do. You’re not an empath, Starfire. It doesn’t matter that he was conflicted because you know what he was thinking the entire time we were fighting? How to inflict the most pain and damage possible. He _wanted_ to hurt you. You can’t expect me to forgive him for that.”

Starfire felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she held them back. She had to ask, “He wanted to hurt me?”

Raven sighed, deflating back into the couch, all of her fiery anger draining away in an instant. She never could hold onto her emotions for long. “He wanted to hurt you only to prove that he was serious. I doubt he would have fought so hard otherwise. That doesn’t excuse what he did.”

She bit her lip, impatiently wiping away an errant tear. How ironic that a day ago she would have done anything to see Robin again and now that she had, she would do anything to go back to that uncertainty.

“There’s more,” Cyborg said, still looking far too old and worn down for his age.

A strangled laugh climbed out of her throat. “How can there be more?”

It was Kid Flash who answered. “The Justice League wants all of you to report to the Watchtower in two hours.”

“Why?”

“They want to determine what steps should be taken to free or stop Renegade. And whether or not they’ll allow us to keep operating,” Cyborg said, his jaw clenched.

“No,” she whispered, the word hardly more than a breath.

“Batman has been warning us that without Robin, the League has been worried,” Cyborg said, his voice shaking as he tried to stay calm. “They haven’t made up their minds yet. We still have time.”

Kid Flash’s communicator beeped. His hand and voice blurred as he answered with superspeed. Once he put it away, he gave them an apologetic look. “That was Flash. Speedy woke up again and the League wants me to sit with him after they’re done talking to him.”

Beast Boy sighed. “We’ll see you there, then.”

“Don’t give up hope, you guys. The other sidekicks and I are all on your side,” Kid said before running away, the scent of ozone following him out.

“Is there anything else?” Starfire all but growled.

Cyborg gave her a look that said _you should have known better than to ask_. “The suitcase in Robin’s room is gone. Taken from the Tower two nights ago without setting off our alarms.”

That was the last straw. Starfire screamed, tears streaming down her face as her starbolts burned through the couch.

...

“Wally?”

The two redheads swiveled around to see the Batman standing in the doorway. Roy’s eyes widened as Wally stood up, pushing his headpiece down.

“I understand that you want to stay with your friend, but I’d like to talk to you,” he said, the usual gravel tone in his voice missing.

“I’ll see you in a bit, yeah?” Wally asked Roy, his heart aching as he took in his bruised and bandaged friend. Starfire was lucky that Tamaraneans were tougher than humans otherwise she’d be confined to bed like Roy and Oliver.

“No problem, man,” Roy said, his voice scratchy.

Wally followed Batman out, easily keeping pace with the Dark Knight’s long strides. Batman led him to one of the rarely used interrogation rooms down the hall from Roy’s new bedroom.

“What is it this time, Bats?” Wally asked, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. You didn’t have to be a genius detective to tell that he was pissed off.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with the Titans.”

Wally snorted. “Is that what this is about? Look, you can’t stop me from going after him. He’s my best friend.”

“I’m not trying to. That would be a waste of time,” Batman said plainly. “I just wanted to warn you that the League is going to press for the Titans to get a fifth member and Barry and I have already agreed that it can’t be you.”

Wally narrowed his eyes. “That’s not your choice to make. Besides, I wasn’t planning on joining them. I don’t want to be his replacement.”

If Wally’s answer surprised him, he didn’t let it show. “I’m glad you came to that decision on your own. You and the Flash are doing good work in Central City.”

If Batman had praised him under any other circumstances, he would have been over the moon. Instead, he asked, “That’s not the entire reason, is it?”

Batman sighed. “Deathstroke seems to be targeting people Robin was close to. Speedy and Starfire could be the start of a very deadly pattern.”

Wally lowered his arms. “You think he’s going after other kid heroes.”

“I do. It’s a smart strategy. The League is too busy most of the time to look for Robin. It’s the sidekicks and the Titans who have the ability to spend the time and resources looking.”

Wally had to admit, Batman was making a lot of sense. “That’s why you want to shut down the Titans. You’re trying to protect them.”

He nodded sharply. “I know the other Leaguers, Barry included, blame me for creating the world’s first child hero. What they don’t understand is that I put his safety before everything else. I made mistakes. Too many of them, which you know. I’m not going to make those same mistakes with the Titans. I owe Robin that much.”

“I mean, that’s a good sentiment and all, but the Titans won’t see it that way. They’ll think you’re trying to disband them.”

“I don’t need them to like me to save their lives.”

“ _Everyone report to the briefing room. I repeat, everyone report to the briefing room_ ,” Superman’s voice echoed over the Watchtower’s comm system.

Wally saluted Batman. “See you there.”

He ran into Roy’s room and helped the archer into the wheelchair he’d already gotten half his body into. If Roy didn’t still look like shit, Wally would have teased him mercilessly. As it was, they were silent as Wally zoomed them to the briefing room.

The room was already full. Every League member and their sidekick was packed in there, blocking out the view of the Earth from the floor to ceiling windows. Wally rolled Roy into the spot in between Black Canary and Green Arrow, who looked even worse off than Roy. Then Wally took his seat next to Barry, opposite the side of the table where the Titans sat, all of them looking more tired than excited even though they’d only been in the Watchtower once or twice before.

“That’s everyone,” Superman said as Batman swept into the room, his cape flaring out behind him. Wally didn’t think he was alone when he instinctively looked behind him, expecting to see a dark-haired boy chatting the Dark Knight’s ear off before realizing his mistake.

“All of you know why we’re here, but to ensure that no misinformation spreads, I’ll break it down quickly,” Batman said, striding to the front of the room, his gravelly voice back. “Four months ago, Robin left the Titans and seemingly joined the mercenary Deathstroke, who has been exceptionally active in Jump City for a year. He works as Deathstroke’s apprentice, stealing and acting as an agent for him. One month ago, the Titans and Kid Flash succeeded in capturing Robin, who revealed that he’s only working with Slade to protect hostages. We were forced to let Robin return to Slade for the hostages’ safety. Are you all clear on this much?”

The League nodded and murmured in agreement. The Titans might as well have been statues for all the emotion they showed, even the normally energetic Beast Boy and Starfire.

“Last night, there were three attacks perpetrated by Deathstroke and Robin.” Wally started, as did most of the League. Batman held up his hand. “You all know how they beat Green Arrow and Speedy on live TV in Star City and then Robin pursued a metahuman girl in Jump City, leading to a confrontation with the Titans that left Starfire badly injured. The one you don’t know about is because it’s personal to my operations. While Robin was in Jump, Deathstroke burned down two of my safehouses and when Batgirl engaged, he blew up part of a bridge to distract her. No one was killed, but several were severely injured and dozens more were hurt.”

“Was Batgirl hurt?” Wonder Woman asked, her brow creased.

“No, she got lucky.” His eyebrows knit with concern for a moment before he continued briskly, “The working theory is that Deathstroke hasn’t gone after Gotham before because he knows Robin is already working for him unwillingly and doesn’t want to risk alienating him further. However, this was his first move in Gotham, so this theory might not hold for much longer,” Batman admitted, his jaw tight.

Superman took over. “Deathstroke and Robin disappeared right after all of the attacks and no one has any leads on their whereabouts.”

“What about the meta girl?” Black Canary asked.

Cyborg shook his head. “She doesn’t seem to know anything useful. Robin was trying to recruit her, but he never took her to any of their bases or let anything slip. She’s just another dead end.”

“So why are we here? If there’s no leads—” Hal Jordan started to say.

“We’re here because we need to decide what to do about Star and Jump City moving forward,” Batman said.

“And what to do if we encounter Robin,” Wonder Woman said.

Everyone gaped at her, both at the implication that they should actively fight Robin and at her guts for saying it to Batman’s face.

To his credit, Batman stilled but didn’t outright object. Instead, he paused before saying in a deceptively controlled voice, “Unless you want Slade to kill his hostages, we have no choice but to let Robin continue working with Slade.”

“If Slade kills the hostages, he’d lose his leverage over Robin, so we know he won’t do that,” Barry pointed out.

“That doesn’t mean he can’t torture them or only kill one at a time,” the Dark Knight said quietly. “For all we know, Slade’s already proven that he will kill a hostage and that’s why Robin’s attacks suddenly increased violently. So unless we can find leads on who the hostages are, we can’t risk trying to save Robin.”

Superman sighed. “We already agreed at the last meeting that we shouldn’t. I know we all wished that these attacks changed the circumstances, but we have to trust that Slade values Robin too much to hurt him and that Robin values their lives too much to risk them.”

Green Arrow grimaced. “Not that Robin is my favorite person at the moment, but I find it hard to believe that there’s nothing we can do for him. I mean, the Titans have managed to talk to him before, right?”

“The circumstances of that encounter cannot be repeated without significant risk to the hostages,” Batman said, his arms crossed. “If there were a way to contact Robin, I would have found it by now.”

“Actually, there is something we haven’t tried yet,” Cyborg said. “Raven is an empath and telepathic. This was the first time we’ve seen Robin since we found out about the hostages, and Raven was the first on the scene so she was too busy protecting civilians to try, but if the rest of us can keep him busy, she might be able to talk to him. If they’re talking mind to mind, he might feel it’s safe enough to say where Slade’s base is or who the hostages are.”

Batman shook his head. “Robin knew the Tower was secure when I talked to him, but he didn’t give up anything that important. I believe that Slade must have some way to threaten the hostages on his person at all times. That’s the only reason Robin would stay.”

“No offense, but it can’t hurt to try. And we’re not asking for your permission,” Cyborg said, his jaw clenched. The other Titans glared defiantly up at Batman, supporting their leader.

There was a beat of silence before Batman sighed. “I trained him to resist mental attacks. Don’t expect to get much out of him.”

Cyborg nodded as the other Titans relaxed minutely. Superman opened his mouth to speak when a shrill siren cut him off and a broadcast appeared on the screen.

“—Grant, reporting live from in front of the Gotham police station where Commissioner Jim Gordon has called a press conference. Although there was no sign of the Batman last night, two warehouses and a bridge were destroyed. However, my sources have confirmed that something larger is at play today,” Cat Grant said, her hair getting tousled by the wind.

Everyone glanced at Batman as Commissioner Gordon stepped up to the podium, looking older than ever. Wally knew that if Dick were here, he would have slid closer to his guardian, a silent sign of support that needed no acknowledgement.

“Thank you all for coming here today. I know many of you want answers about the bridge explosion and warehouse fires, but at this point, we’re still investigating and have no definite answers. I called this press conference because this morning, when I stepped into my office, there was a burned and bloody suit pinned to my desk with a knife.” Jim stopped, his jaw clenched and eyes screwed shut. Light highlighted the panes of his face as cameramen snapped pictures, unaware that thousands of feet above them, the Justice League was watching with bated breath. “To the best of our knowledge, this suit belongs to Robin, the Batman’s former partner, who has been missing for four months.”

Everything exploded. Reporters shouted and cameras flashed and the League was shouting and the Titans were getting up and Batman was already stalking out of the room, Superman calling after him, and Wally just sat there, an island in a sea of chaos.

_Looks like Slade had more than one card to play,_ Wally thought as the world fell apart around him.

…

The policemen of Gotham had learned a long time ago that when Commissioner Gordon went to the roof of the station, he wasn’t to be disturbed unless there was a true emergency. When he went to the roof, cigarette already in hand and didn’t even turn on the Bat signal when he got to the top, they all knew to stay far, _far_ away. Nothing good ever came out of those nights.

Everything about this time felt different to Jim Gordon. He was on the roof by himself at midmorning, the Bat signal dark and accusing behind him, the sounds of everyday traffic filling the air instead of the steady thrum of Gotham’s nightlife that he was used to. The true difference, however, was that for the first time ever, he heard Batman touch down on the roof behind him. They’d been doing this dance for enough years for Jim to know it was an apology. He just didn’t care anymore.

“You said he was safe,” Jim said, his fingers clenched around the cigarette.

Batman paused, clearly caught off guard. Whatever reaction he’d been expecting, this wasn’t it. “I didn’t lie, Jim. When Robin went to Jump City, he was safe. Safer than he was here with every criminal and psychopath in the city gunning for him.”

The cigarette fell to the floor, embers sputtering out as his boot smothered it. Ashes stained the sole. “When he disappeared, I thought maybe he finally wised up and got out of the life of heroes and villains. Maybe he was finally going to high school, making friends, taking girls out on dates. But you never answered me when I asked about him. I thought you were just being protective, like always. Hell, I _hoped_. But I think that deep down, I knew it was only a matter of time until this happened.”

“Jim—”

“ _No_. You don’t get to talk,” he said sharply. He pointed a shaking, accusing finger at Batman. “I warned you. God, I warned you so many times that if anything ever happened to the kid, that would be it. And it is. As of now, you’re a dangerous vigilante who will not have any privileges or immunities that the GCPD used to allow.”

“He’s not dead,” Batman said quietly. “If he were, I’d beg for you to arrest me.”

“Can you prove that he’s alive?” The air between them was charged, all of the noise of the city melting away as Batman’s damning silence grew. “Can you prove that you didn’t lead a _child_ to his death and inspire a generation of sidekicks to do the same?”

“Robin was my partner, not my sidekick. And no, I can’t prove he’s alive. You just have to trust me, Jim.”

He was already shaking his head. “You lost my trust the second I saw his uniform on my desk. Go away.”

Batman didn’t move. “He’s not dead, but he’s not safe either. I can’t just stand down while my partner needs me.”

“I’m not telling you to abandon the kid if he’s still alive like you claim. I pray to God that you’re right, but until I see the kid, the GCPD can’t risk associating with you. Without proof, I don’t even want to.”

Batman nodded, the motion jerky. “I understand your decision. I really do. I hope we meet under better circumstances next time, Jim.”

A soft sigh escaped his lips. “I do too. When you save the kid, tell him I said hi.”

“I will.”

And then the Dark Knight was gone, swinging away into the Gotham skyline, leaving the Commissioner wondering how the world would react to Gotham turning its back on its most fearless defender.


	10. Chapter 10

Starfire finished reading Terra’s police report long after the Titans and their guest went to bed. Since Terra was a runaway metahuman from an abusive home, the cops couldn’t send her to live with family or put her through the usual system. While they searched for options, the Titans had offered to care of her. They were the only ones qualified to protect her from Deathstroke and Robin and to deal with her powers.

So, yeah, it made sense that Terra was staying in one of their guestrooms, but that didn’t mean that Starfire wasn’t disappointed that Terra didn’t know anything worthwhile.

She’d been so hopeful at first, but Cyborg and the police reports were positive that she was nothing more than a victim. Robin had been extremely kind at the start of his recruiting attempts, but as Terra continued to turn him down, he’d grown colder and crueler, culminating during yesterday’s attack where he and Terra had wrecked the park and downtown.

Starfire’s hands shook as she slid the report back into its folder, the dim lights in the Tower’s common room highlighting a photo of Robin chasing after Terra, blood dripping from his split lip as he snarled, the expression that of a dozen criminals they’d faced. It didn’t belong on him, and yet he seemed to wear it more and more, as if the S pinned to his chest were contagious.

She knew that the stakes would change as soon as Batman and the Titans let Robin leave the Tower a month ago. His mysterious absence was strange, but not unexpected. She had never imagined he’d resurface so violently.

She never thought he would hurt _her_.

Starfire bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. It wasn’t right for her to believe that Robin held her in higher esteem than anyone else. Though she knew in her heart that she loved him, she didn’t know if he felt the same. But if he didn’t, if he thought they were friends and nothing more, why had he always tried to spare her in the past? Even when he had first put on Slade’s colors, he had no problem fighting Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy, but when he faced her, he hesitated. Robin never hesitated, never faltered, but that night and many since, he had.

Robin hadn’t hesitated last night. The stakes had changed more than any of them could have guessed, as had the light in Robin’s eyes. He no longer hid behind cool silence and a mask of stone; Robin had been full of fire and fury, sarcasm dripping from his words as blood masked his face. If she didn’t know who he was, she would never have recognized him.

It wasn’t just his attack on Jump City that was keeping her up. There was something about Slade and Robin’s movements that bothered her. Why strike now? Why attack Star City? Gotham and Jump made sense, but Star? Why send Robin’s uniform to Commissioner Gordon now when Slade had had it for months?

The League had a few theories, ones that made sense to Starfire, but with no one to confirm them, they would remain theories. The League thought that the attack on Jump had been a fluke, that Robin was supposed to grab Terra quickly and quietly. Starfire disagreed. Robin had been too well prepared to not have been expecting a fight. She couldn’t understand why he wanted to fight beyond proving his loyalty to Slade. Except the same question arose: why now? Why after a month of nothing did they decide to attack?

She supposed on one hand, Robin had helped them. By choosing to fight the Titans, he’d inadvertently given them the time to get Terra to safety. And Commissioner Gordon’s press conference disbanded the League meeting before they could even suggest benching the Titans.

Of course, Slade and Robin had done far more harm than good. A few heroes would help cover Star City while Green Arrow and Speedy recovered. Batman was no longer protected by the Gotham police and had dropped his League duties to focus on Gotham and Slade. Starfire herself was still injured, they were sheltering a metahuman, and the Titans had to come up with something to tell the public about Robin now that everyone thought he’d been violently murdered. Starfire was getting a headache just thinking about it. It might have been a side effect of her concussion, a parting gift from Robin.

“Starfire. What are you doing up?” Raven asked, drifting into the room, her bathrobe flaring around her like a cloak.

“I wanted to read Terra’s police report myself. I did not find it reassuring,” Starfire said. She didn’t ask Raven why she was also up so late. Both Robin and Raven either became so absorbed in their pursuits that they forgot to sleep or their own personal demons drove them out of bed. Robin could often be found flying on the trapeze with Raven reading below him when they had a shared sleepless night. In stark contrast, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire were all heavy and late sleepers.

“I didn’t either. Did you notice anything...off about her?” Raven asked, frowning.

“I have not had the chance to meet her. Today has been very busy.”

Raven nodded absentmindedly. “I just find it odd that Robin wasn’t able to grab her.”

“He might have wanted us to save her. He could have drawn out the fight on purpose,” Starfire suggested hesitantly, knowing Raven no longer was lenient towards Robin’s actions.

She sighed, tucking purple locks behind her ears. “It’s possible, Star, but even if he did, we can’t go easy on him anymore. He’s known on a national level as a villain now.”

“I understand, but I refuse to lose faith in him.” _Like you have_ went unspoken.

Raven moved to the fridge, her back stiff. “Cyborg wants us to have a breakfast meeting tomorrow. You should rest.”

“You are right. I will see you tomorrow, friend,” Starfire said as she headed towards the door. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder if the person Raven used to spend her sleepless nights with was the reason she was awake now.

…

_Dick was flying._

_Not in the sky like Starfire, but under a circus tent’s canvas roof, chalk coating his callused hands as he soared from one ring to another. The shadowy crowd below cheered and applauded as he danced above them in an aerial ballet. They were too far away to see the blood coating his uniform as he completed Robin’s last flight._

_“He flies through the air with the greatest of ease, that daring young man on the flying trapeze!”_

_The melody which had once made him smile wider than the Joker now made his blood run cold as its haunting notes echoed throughout the big top. Dick Grayson had already had his last flight years ago. Robin didn’t deserve that anthem. Not after everything he’d done._

_Brilliant lights fixed their aim on him, blood drip drip dripping steadily now. If there was any pain, he was too focused on his routine to feel it._

_“And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for, Robin the Boy Wonder in our most spectacular show yet: Freefall!”_

_Renegade smiled as he let go, the crowd screaming as they watched Batman’s partner, the leader of the Titans, the first of a generation of heroes, fall, fall, fall, down onto the hay-strewn floor that had snapped his parents’ necks years ago. It was time for little Robin to rejoin his flock._

Screeeeeech!

Dick jerked awake as the car stopped abruptly, the brakes and tires screaming in protest. The driver’s muttered curses reached him a moment later as he took in the dozens of cars around them that were also halted, clogging up the streets. Dick let go of the collapsible bo staff he had automatically reached for and leaned back against the plush seat of the limo, his racing heartbeat starting to slow down now that he knew he wasn’t under attack.

“I was starting to worry that I’d have to wake you myself,” Slade commented.

Although Dick could see all sorts of streetlights, neon signs, and electric billboards flashing on either side of the street, nothing but the dim lights in the limo illuminated Slade’s profile. He was dressed in a simple black suit. A walking cane rested by his feet, and his hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but only a fool would have thought that he wasn’t dangerous, no matter how much effort he put into dressing like a civilian. Dick could pass for a normal teenage boy, but Slade would always stand out in a crowd. That was why they were in a private limo heading to one of his colleague’s residences: the less people who saw him, the less attention they’d attract. And they sure as hell had everyone in the world’s attention at the moment.

“Are we almost there?” Dick asked, sitting up.

“Only a few more minutes,” Slade promised. “How are you feeling?”

Dick groaned, rolling his shoulder experimentally. “Decent. Nothing’s broken or bleeding, but I think I need a day or two before I can do anything like this again.”

“Take three. You deserve it.”

Dick blinked. “Thank you.”

Slade shrugged as if it were nothing and not the first time he’d given him that much recuperation time. Then again, what they’d done last night was on a different level than everything else prior. Within eight hours, Dick had beat Speedy in Star City, flown back to Jump to mock fight Terra and then genuinely fight Raven and Starfire, and then flown back across the country to meet up with Slade in Bludhaven once he had finished his work in Gotham. Dick hadn’t been this exhausted since the last time he’d worked alongside Bruce.

“Terra should be checking in with us in five minutes. It’s your choice whether or not you go straight to bed or hear her report,” Slade said, his expression truly neutral. If he had a preference, he was suppressing it to give Dick the freedom of choice. It seemed as if last night had finally earned him the level of trust he’d had before the situation at Titans Tower a month ago.

“I’ll stay awake. I want to make sure she’s okay.”

“If you hurt her during the fight, the Titans would get her patched up,” he said quietly.

“I want to see for myself.”

Slade nodded. “I imagine that she’ll want to see that you’re unharmed as well.”

Dick knew she would. Terra had begged Slade to move back her and Dick’s fight, worried that after fighting Speedy, he’d be too tired to be careful. Slade had refused. They all knew that if they wanted to strike a major blow against the League and the Titans, it needed to be big, big in a way an attack on one city wouldn’t accomplish.

“Here we are, Mr. Wilson,” the driver announced. Dick had been too distracted to even notice they had started moving again, but now he could feel the limo crawl to a halt. “I’ll go get the bellboys to send your belongings up.”

“No need. My nephew and I travel light,” Slade said, handing the driver a wad of money. “I believe this should cover our fare.”

The driver’s eyes bulged. “Yes, it definitely does. Thank you very much, Mr. Wilson.”

“Come along,” Slade told Dick as he climbed out of the backseat.

“Thanks,” Dick said to the driver before sliding out after Slade.

Slade handed him his briefcase and duffle bag before grabbing his own and shutting the trunk. The driver waved at them before pulling away, leaving Slade and Dick at the entrance of a famous New York skyscraper, one even Bruce had written off as being too overpriced. Dick idly wondered what the driver would have thought if he knew how much blood the man who had just sat in his limo had on his hands. A dumb, suicidal part of him was always tempted to tell someone that the man he traveled with wasn’t his uncle, but a mercenary. Not because he thought they could help him get away or even get a message out to Bruce. He just wanted to see their reactions, to see if they would gape and stare or cover their mouths in horror, hands shaking.

It felt wrong that Dick only got that reaction when he was actively in battle. Terra was never scared of him; she had vacillated between defiant and desperate for approval. The criminals Slade worked with were all too tough to cower, even if they knew Slade's kill count. In fact, the only one who had reacted with reasonable fear was Professor Change, and not even because of Slade. No, he’d been terrified of Dick.

“Being in your line of work pays well, doesn’t it?” Dick asked casually as they stepped into the opulent lobby, a smiling clerk already heading towards them.

“Actually, this colleague is more of a middle man than anything else. He’d probably be appalled if he knew the details of the missions he arranged,” Slade said, clearly only half paying attention to Dick as he scanned the terrain as if it were a battlefield. His grip on his bag tightened as the clerk stopped in front of them. Before she could say anything, Slade said, “I’m an associate of Mr. Rand’s. He should have alerted you that my nephew and I would be staying in his penthouse for awhile.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Mr?” she asked, fishing for a name.

“Evans. John Evans. This is Gabriel,” Slade said, gesturing to Dick. He smiled at her on autopilot, the same winning smile he had aimed at CEOs and socialites at every gala in Gotham. Even dead on his feet, Alfred’s lessons won out.

Their pseudonyms rolled smoothly off Slade’s tongue after four months of saying them. Terra even fit into their fake family as Dana Evans, John’s daughter. Not that they’d need to use that alias anytime soon now that Terra was spying on the Titans.

“A pleasure, Mr. Evans. Mr. Rand said that he already entrusted you with the keys, but if you should need any assistance or have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask any member of our staff,” she said in a false chipper tone customary of customer service.

“Thank you, but my nephew and I just got off a long flight and would like to rest now,” Slade said, dropping a hand onto Dick’s shoulder in a paternal gesture.

“Of course. The elevators to your penthouse are over there,” she said, stepping back with a smile as fake as Dick’s.

Slade nodded and guided him over to the elevator. Once, Dick would have shaken him off and snarled at him. Now, he came quietly, docile and tamed.

Once the doors shut behind them, Slade let go and asked, “Wayne has a residence in New York, doesn’t he?”

“Why, you planning on bombing it?” Dick asked wearily, rubbing at his eyes. He needed more sleep, but he needed to see that Terra was okay even more. The bright LED lights and reflective panels of the elevator were giving him a headache.

Once, Slade would have been furious at Dick’s attitude, but this time, he only rolled his eyes. “I’m not interested in pointless destruction. I just want to know how close it is in case he has defenses in place to find us.”

“Isn’t that what my Spyral tech is for?” he asked, pointing to his eye.

“I’d prefer not to rely on spyware, especially considering Spyral would have gladly killed the both of us on a different day. But yes, the hypnos should protect you from facial recognition software,” Slade acknowledged.

The only reason Slade allowed him to wear a domino mask as Renegade and have an uncovered face as a civilian was because Dick had agreed to get hypnos, albeit with many modifications so that Spyral couldn’t access it anymore. Now it would only serve to disguise his face on camera.

Dick shrugged. “I’ll give you the address and a rundown of the defenses tomorrow if you’re still feeling paranoid.”

“How generous,” Slade said dryly.

The elevator doors slid open soundlessly, depositing them in a hall with only two doors. Slade immediately went for the one on the right, having already memorized the floor plan beforehand.

“There’s a bedroom down the hall, first door on the left, if you want to set your stuff down,” Slade said as he pushed the door open, drawing the key out of the lock.

Dick nodded and went to go do that, barely taking in the ultra modern penthouse complete with overpriced paintings of plain orange squares on white canvases. There would be time to scope out the place later, though if Slade had deemed it safe, Dick was inclined to agree.

He dropped his briefcase and duffle bag on the floor at the foot of the king sized bed before heading back into the living room. Slade had already linked his communicator up to the massive TV, Terra’s face projected onto it. Her teeth filled so much of the screen that Dick felt like he’d fallen into Wonderland and stumbled across the Cheshire Cat.

“Dick! Are you okay?” Terra asked, wispy blonde strands of her hair falling across her creased brow.

“Just tired, Terra. How are things going with the Titans?” he asked, dropping down onto the couch next to Slade heavily, though careful to keep space between them.

She shrugged, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “Fine. I can’t say I’ve seen a lot of them. They handed me off to the police at first while they took care of Starfire, but then Cyborg came to talk to me. I convinced him that I needed to be protected and he offered to let me stay in the Tower, just like you thought he would. Beast Boy has been friendly, Raven’s been distant, and I haven’t met Starfire yet.”

Slade nodded sharply. “Good. What else?”

“Kid Flash and the Titans went to a Justice League meeting for a few hours, but they didn’t tell me anything about it,” she said, looking put out. “I do know that the mayor wants to meet with the Titans to find out what happened to Robin, but that’s not surprising.”

“Don’t beat yourself up. It’s only day one,” Dick said, the words coming automatically. It was something he would have said to the Titans after a bad mission. He use to use those kinds of words on Terra, the girl who had signed up to be a mercenary’s apprentice.

“Agreed. The most important thing is that they trust you. Spying is secondary,” Slade said. “I’ll contact you tomorrow. You don’t need to rush to reply. I understand that the Titans might have a lot of questions for you.”

Terra nodded. “I understand. Until then, master.”

Slade inclined his head before ending the call. He looked over at Dick, his gaze lazy. “Satisfied that she’s in one piece?”

Dick was too tired to snap back. “I’m going to bed. Don’t expect to see me anytime soon.”

Slade hummed, already reaching for the remote. “Sleep well, apprentice.”


End file.
